Czech Senate Approves Restrictions On Sale Of Kratom And HHC Products
The Czech Senate passed amendments this week proposing new limits on the sale of kratom and HHC products. The amendments are now heading to the office of President Petr Pavel. If signed into law, the sale of these products would be allowed only to adults and in specific stores starting December, writes Radio Prague International.
Kratom, a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia that can produce effects similar to opioids, is currently legal in the Czech Republic and has been used to treat chronic pain and opium dependency. It is often sought as an energy booster, mood enhancer and pain reliever. In higher doses, the herb can induce sedation and pleasure.
Even though there’s a lack of conclusive scientific research on kratom’s safety and efficacy, a ban on it is not being considered because of its medical applications.
“At the moment, we do not have any regulation on the sale of kratom, for example, and my 14-year-old son can buy it completely unregulated in the convenience store next door,” Senator Karel Zitterbart said. “We also know that repression does not work. Repression would only shift the sale of some of these substances to the black market. So what makes sense is regulation.”
Senator Roman Kraus, chairman of the senate committee for healthcare also commented on the amendment, “The goal is the strict regulation of the market, but not the …