KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A Knoxville Police Department officer is in the hot seat after being accused of shoplifting Kratom while in uniform. It’s raised questions about the substance and its legality in Tennessee.
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The Department of Justice has an outline of how the southeast Asian plant — which just last month prompted a call to action from state lawmakers — affects the body.
Kratom is sometimes called “gas station heroin.” The justice department’s breakdown says the leaves can be ground down and placed in tea or capsules, which are easy to find and buy in Tennessee.
As for its effects on the body, Kratom can act as a stimulant or depressant, depending on the dosage. Users have reported alertness, more physical energy and an increase in talkativeness.
However, side effects can include nausea, sweating, drowsiness and other problems. A Tennessee House resolution, signed by Gov. Bill Lee on May 2, has called for “the strictest” regulation of the product or even an outright ban on its sale.
As of now, however, Kratom is mostly unregulated in Tennessee and available to sell.
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