RAPIDES PARISH, La. (KALB) – On Monday, Oct 10, the Rapides Parish Police Jury unanimously voted to pass two ordinances that ban the sale and possession of the herbal supplement kratom.
Kratom is an herbal supplement derived from an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. It can be bought over the counter at most gas stations and smoke shops and contains two psychoactive compounds, and some say the effects are comparable to opioids. Ascension Parish became the first in Louisiana to ban the substance in August, and now Rapides Parish has followed suit.
Users say it can help with everything from sore muscles to headaches and insomnia, though the FDA says there is no proven medicinal use for it.
“We think it is something here in Rapides Parish that we want to address. There are enough things going around,” said Craig Smith, President of the Rapides Parish Police Jury.
Read more at KALB.com