Why Kratom Is At The Heart Of A Big Public Health Debate

Short Wave

NPR

Science, Life Sciences, Daily News, Astronomy, News, Nature

4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 29 December 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

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Summary

Kratom and 7-OH products are available in many smoke shops. But earlier this year, the FDA recommended certain 7-OH products be scheduled alongside opioids. This isn’t the first time kratom has come under scrutiny. Nearly a decade ago, the DEA wanted to make certain active ingredients in kratom controlled substances. Meaning products would go from being widely available to highly restricted. After a massive wave of protest, the DEA decided not to move forward. Producer Rachel Carlson joins host Emily Kwong to talk about what could happen this time around, and what scientists know – and don’t know – about kratom and 7-OH.

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1:23.0	today. Thank you. You're listening to Shortwave from NPR. Hey, shortwaver is Emily Kwong here with
1:32.1	Rachel Carlson, one of our show's producers. Hey, Rachel. Hey, Emily. So I am here today to talk to you
1:38.1	about something becoming more popular. It's called cratum, or cratum. People pronounce it both ways, but a lot of the sources I talk to said cradum, so I think that's what we'll stick with for this episode.
1:50.0	Well, where does cradam come from exactly?
1:52.3	Cradams derived from tree leaves. It's been used for centuries in Southeast Asia, mostly Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand for energy and to treat pain.
2:01.5	But in the U.S., it's sort of an umbrella term that includes a bunch of different products,
2:05.7	like teas, pills, extracts, synthetic goods that all vary in strength depending on how they're made.
	...

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