Homeland Security's Mullin draws on family drug history to warn of 'new opioid crisis'
- DHS Secretary Mullin warns synthetic kratom is fueling a new opioid-style crisis
- Tests show gas station kratom products packing 13 times the potency of morphine
- DEA moves to ban synthetic variants as deaths at University of Mississippi trigger panic
- Questions swirl over Mullin's personal investment in a kratom company
Brief Summary
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is sounding the alarm on a surge in high-potency synthetic kratom, citing it as the next frontier of the nation's drug epidemic. Drawing on his own family history with synthetic substances, Mullin claims that gas station variants are being sold with dangerous concentrations that far exceed the potency of standard herbal products. While the DEA works on a rule to ban these synthetic versions, the Secretary is under fire for his own financial ties to the kratom industry.
Why This Matters
You need to pay attention to what is being sold right under your nose at local gas stations and convenience stores. If these products are indeed as potent as federal officials claim, they represent a massive, unregulated health risk that could end up in your medicine cabinet or your teenager's hands under the guise of an 'herbal supplement.' Keep a close watch on your local retailers and any legislative crackdowns, because the line between a legal supplement and a dangerous, life-altering synthetic opioid is blurring rapidly.