The U.S. Navy announced that it is prohibiting the consumption of an organic opioid, along with several other substances, in a recent service-wide message.
The Navy announced in a Jan. 14 memo that service members were barred from using kratom, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.
“Protecting service member welfare and readiness is paramount to maintaining an effective fighting force,” the message reads. “Additionally, substance misuse by members of the armed forces is incompatible with military standards of good order, discipline, performance, and operational readiness.”
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Kratom comes from an indigenous Southeast Asian tree whose leaves contain the other two banned drugs, all of which are typically distributed to users in the form of capsules, shots, edibles and other forms, according to the naval administrative message.
The FDA does not federally regulate kratom, mitragynine or 7-hydroxymitragynine, the latter of which can be stronger than morphine, the Navy said.
Some states, like Ohio, are moving to ban the drug.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy recommended that kratom be reclassified as a Schedule I controlled substance after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine banned synthetic kratom.
The Navy warned that use of the drugs can lead to seizures, tachycardia, hepatotoxicity, hypertension and death.
Sailors who violate the new policy will face administrative and or disciplinary action for violating Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 92, or “failure to obey a lawful general order.”
The order cited the Navy’s Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program and Marine Corps Substance Assessment and Counseling Centers for any service members experiencing problems with addiction.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.