Why banning the opiate-like plant kratom might do more harm than good

The US Drug Enforcement Administration plans to name a new Schedule I drug: a Southeast Asian plant known for its opiate-like effects called kratom. The move may slow down medical research into a promising painkiller, or discourage it altogether.

Schedule I is the DEA’s most restrictive classification, and places kratom alongside heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and marijuana, which the agency says have no acceptable medical uses. The reason is "to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety," the agency says.

Kratom has been consumed in Southeast Asia for centuries, either as a tea or a powder. The plant, which is related to coffee, contains alkaloids that bind the same opioid receptor as morphine, meaning it can treat pain. But that’s not all....