@thoughts-in-time, good point. I've suggested to a friend of mine who does research on this and other natural products that she should include an economist on her research panel, since having even more support for products like kratom, and having the science and economic backing in that it would lower drug costs at the same time would be a good story. Now, getting the story from the science to the market is another thing.

Continuing to your point, the FDA does protect its pharma stakeholders. And creating new diseases and expanding classification of people who have disease that needs meds (statins for example) are other tactics.

But, back to kratom, there are truly other worse offenders that should be targeted and off the market. What a waste of resources.