Kratom

Casey Hugs, a woman who testified in support of kratom, said her late husband was a heroin addict and did not have health insurance to get medically-assisted stepdown care, which includes drugs like suboxone or methadone.

“It wasn’t the first pick, but neither was being a heroin addict,” Hugs said. “And if I look at it in a harm reduction model, Suboxone is based on a harm reduction model. Methadone treatment is based on a harm reduction

model. And if we can’t access those, then this is a great alternative. And if we know what’s in it, we know what the dosages are. I just don’t see why somebody should tell me that I can’t take this to make my life better.”