Addiction Journal Commentary: Kratom Policy Risks Repeating Opioid Crisis Mistakes

Why it matters

A commentary in the flagship addiction science journal draws direct parallels between current kratom policy debates and the early failures of opioid crisis response — framing that is shaping how regulators, lawmakers, and clinicians approach kratom at a pivotal moment in federal scheduling.

The big picture

Published in Addiction on June 11, 2026, the commentary responds to a new analysis by Comstock et al. examining how state-level kratom regulations correlate with poison center outcomes and emergency healthcare use. The commentary argues that public health institutions, industry, and advocates are repeating the same patterns of insufficient evidence, premature claims, and regulatory delays that characterized the opioid era. The piece arrived weeks before the DEA filed its July 2026 notice of intent to temporarily schedule concentrated 7-OH under Schedule I.

Key findings

• Commentary published June 11, 2026 in Addiction by researchers commenting on Comstock et al. 2026 empirical study
• The Comstock et al. study examined the association between state-level kratom regulations and poison center-reported severe medical outcomes and healthcare utilization across the U.S.
• The commentary's title frames kratom regulation as at risk of repeating institutional failures from the opioid crisis era
• Keywords: addiction, drug policy, kratom, opioid crisis, opioid use disorder, public health
• Published at a critical juncture: the DEA's July 2026 scheduling notice came just weeks after this piece appeared
• The journal Addiction is a leading peer-reviewed publication of the Society for the Study of Addiction

What they say

The commentary's authors argue, as captured in their title, that current approaches to kratom regulation risk the same failures that defined the early opioid crisis — citing inadequate evidence standards, competing stakeholder claims, and delayed regulatory response. Full text available via Wiley (DOI: 10.1111/add.70512).

Bottom line

A leading addiction science journal is publishing work that frames the kratom policy debate as a potential repeat of the opioid crisis — adding academic pressure for faster, evidence-based federal action rather than a reactive patchwork of state bans.