While Texas leaders debate banning THC, the controversial and legal substance kratom is rising in popularity
That substance is kratom, which is banned in six states but not in Texas.
"I was introduced to it in a social setting. Someone told me, 'hey, try this.' I was like, 'okay, I'll try it. What's the worst that can happen?''"
This 22-year-old North Texas man, who wants to conceal his identity, said he has only been free of the addictive grip of kratom for two weeks
"nd what I thought, I guess in my head was, 'hey, if I can buy this online, it can't be that bad, right?'"
He said he took it in a pill form for 8 months.
But the substance that comes from an evergreen tree indigenous to Asia also comes in the form of powder and gummies.
"Quitting it by yourself is nearly impossible. You know, it's a very, extremely addictive drug because it hijacks your brain essentially."
Advocates of kratom, which is sold in vape and smoke shops across the state where it is legal, say it reduces pain and anxiety.
Inside Youth180 in Dallas, more than 250 teens a year are treated for substance use disorder. Its leader says more and more are seeking help because of kratom.
Keri Stitt said the opiate effects of kratom and its availability online make it appealing to young people.
"The couple of clients that we've had that have reported kratom usage were 14, 15 and 17," said Stitt.
Last week, the FDA warned consumers not to use kratom because of a "...series of adverse events including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder (SUD)."
It has drug intervention centers like Youth180 questioning whether Texas should ban kratom, as six other states have.
"As you know, we're starting to put more restrictions and parameters around people being able to access THC and things like that. That generally helps with anxiety and things of that nature. I think you're going to start to see more and more people shift to utilizing substances like kratom, because they see it as a legal alternative."
Advocates say kratom is a natural herb and its history in medicine dates back centuries. The FDA said 1.7 million Americans use kratom.
But some ex-users say it's too addictive.
"I do think about it from time to time, but every time I think about it, I think about how my life would be if I kept taking this stuff. That's what keeps me from taking it again."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Intellia Therapeutics to Hold Conference Call to Discuss Second Quarter 2025 Earnings and Company Updates
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA), a leading clinical-stage gene editing company focused on revolutionizing medicine with CRISPR-based therapies, will present its second quarter 2025 financial results and operational highlights in a conference call on August 7, 2025, at 8 a.m. ET. To join the call: U.S. callers should dial 1-833-316-0545 and international callers should dial 1-412-317-5726, approximately five minutes before the call. All participants should ask to be connected to the Intellia Therapeutics conference call. Please visit this link for a simultaneous live webcast of the call. A replay of the call will be available through the Events and Presentations page of the Investors & Media section on Intellia's website at beginning on August 7, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET. About Intellia Therapeutics Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTLA) is a leading clinical-stage gene editing company focused on revolutionizing medicine with CRISPR-based therapies. Since its inception, Intellia has focused on leveraging gene editing technology to develop novel, first-in-class medicines that address important unmet medical needs and advance the treatment paradigm for patients. Intellia's deep scientific, technical and clinical development experience, along with its people, is helping set the standard for a new class of medicine. To harness the full potential of gene editing, Intellia continues to expand the capabilities of its CRISPR-based platform with novel editing and delivery technologies. Learn more at and follow us @ ChavesSenior Manager, Investor
Forbes
23 minutes ago
- Forbes
Sex Offenders With Autism Face Obstacles In Federal Prison
Autism and Prison Incarceration is challenging for most individuals, but it poses unique and often severe hardships for those with mental health conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For inmates with sex offense convictions, the prison environment is particularly hostile, marked by frequent bullying, social isolation, and even physical violence. When an individual has both ASD and a sex offense conviction, the combination can be profoundly damaging—amounting to a near-constant psychological assault on someone who may struggle to fully comprehend their offense or the intense hostility they face behind bars. Although the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) formally recognizes ASD as a condition, it lacks specialized programs or staff training tailored to the needs of this population. Inmates with ASD are subject to the same disciplinary rules and expected to conform to the same social dynamics as neurotypical individuals. Many with ASD have spent their lives struggling to fit in, and within the rigid, unforgiving structure of prison, that struggle becomes even more isolating and painful. Prison Culture Prisons in the United States are often informally segregated along lines of race, geographic background, religion, criminal history, and whether an inmate cooperated with authorities. While this division can partly be attributed to people gravitating toward those with similar backgrounds, inmates convicted of sex offenses face a deeper, more severe form of exclusion. They are systematically barred from participating in many aspects of prison life and are often subjected to open hostility and contempt. This widespread animosity presents ongoing challenges for prison management and raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of those in BOP's custody. Sex offenders make up a substantial portion of the federal prison population—approximately 13.6%, or over 19,000 individuals—ranking just behind those convicted of drug and weapons offenses. Despite their numbers, the BOP does not house them separately from the general population, making peaceful coexistence critical. Many legal professionals recommend that such individuals request placement at facilities offering Sex Offender Management Programs (SOMPs), even if they don't intend to participate, simply for the relative safety provided by 'strength in numbers.' Still, this strategy offers no guarantee against harassment, extortion, or abuse. I spoke to attorney Elizabeth Kelley who specializes in defending those with mental disabilities. She told me that BOP is confronted by major issues when dealing with inmates on the spectrum. First, many inmates on the spectrum may be undiagnosed so their behavior and vulnerabilities are inexplicable even to themselves. This is particularly true of inmates who are middle age and older because the diagnostic tools were not as sophisticated during their childhoods. Kelley pointed out that some of these defendants may not even know their diagnosis with no mention of it in their Presentence Report relied upon by judges to formulate a sentence. Kelley said, 'Because they are undiagnosed, there is likely no mention of their ASD at sentencing and their lawyer could not argue for appropriate placement and accommodations at sentencing. A correction officer may sense that an inmate is different but the reason is not apparent. Hence, ASD is often called an 'invisible disability.'' Show Me Your Papers In federal prison, there is no official system for identifying inmates by the nature of their crimes. In fact, inmates are prohibited from possessing their Presentence Report—the document prepared by U.S. Probation that outlines the details of their offense. There is also no obligation for inmates to disclose their convictions. Nevertheless, upon arrival at a facility, new inmates are often pressured by others to 'show their papers,' a practice used to determine where they fall within the informal social hierarchy of the prison. Two groups are consistently placed at the bottom: individuals who have cooperated with authorities (so-called 'snitches') and those convicted of sex offenses. Sex offenders face immediate social exclusion. They are barred from communal activities such as watching television, one of the few available recreational outlets. They are often required to sit at designated tables in the dining hall and may only interact with other inmates within their group, or only when spoken to by someone outside of the group. Though these rules are not written or official, they are strictly enforced by fellow inmates. Additional restrictions may include limited access to showers or restrooms and being forced to eat or recreate at specific times. Many are subjected to extortion, coerced into depositing funds into others' commissary accounts under threat of violence and assault. In Prison With ASD It is not fair to assume that those with ASD are more prone to being convicted of sex offenses or any other crime. That is simply not true nor founded by any scientific study. However, those with ASD who do commit these crimes have a more difficult time adapting to prison than those who do not. People with ASD may struggle with understanding social cues, interpreting tone or intent, and adapting to unspoken rules—all of which are critical for navigating inmate hierarchies and avoiding conflict. Their behaviors, such as limited eye contact, repetitive motions, or rigid routines, may be misinterpreted by others as defiance, disrespect, or oddity, potentially leading to bullying or violence. Communication difficulties can hinder their ability to advocate for themselves or respond appropriately to orders from staff, increasing the risk of disciplinary action. Additionally, the sensory overload of prison—loud noises, lack of privacy, harsh lighting—can be overwhelming and contribute to heightened anxiety or meltdowns. The lack of specialized mental health support or ASD-specific accommodations within most prison systems further isolates these individuals, making incarceration especially traumatic and destabilizing for them. Inmates who feel threatened in the general population may request placement in Protective Custody (PC) to safeguard themselves. This typically involves being moved to the Special Housing Unit (SHU)—a section of the prison designed primarily for those facing disciplinary action or pending investigations. Unfortunately, inmates in protective custody are subjected to the same restrictive conditions as those being punished: they are confined to their cells nearly 24 hours a day, allowed only one 15-minute phone call per month, permitted to shower only a few times per week, and given minimal access to recreation. Despite being a protective measure, the experience is often indistinguishable from punitive isolation. If returning to the general population proves unsafe, the inmate may be transferred to another facility. This cycle frequently repeats itself, leaving the inmate vulnerable in each new environment. Over time, they may end up incarcerated far from family and support systems as options for safer placements close to home diminish. Families Suffer I spoke with Shawn Barrera-Leaf who is the Executive Director for United Voices for Sex Offense Reform, a group who advocates for fair sentencing and protection of sex offenders in custody. Barrera-Leaf told me, 'Parents, who have helped their child overcome the bullying and isolation of childhood, often feel helpless when they go to bed each night knowing that their son is living in fear and could be on the receiving end of abuses in prison.' There are stories of new inmates who report to prison and are told by BOP staff that it is not safe to go on the yard if they know the general population is not friendly to sex offenders. The inmate is placed in protective custody, SHU, and will sit until they can be sent to another institution, a process that can take months to complete. While movement brings the hope of safety, it also takes a toll on families who wait for word on the conditions of the next prison. Attorney Kelley has worked with many of these families and told me, 'Families of convicted sex offenders are often terrified for their loved ones' safety. Sex offenders are at the bottom of the food chain in prison and a constant target.' The BOP's Position The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) classifies individuals with sex offense convictions using a Public Safety Factor (PSF) designation, which automatically excludes them from placement in minimum-security camps—the lowest custody level. While the BOP employs a point-based system to determine appropriate placement, sex offenders are assigned a PSF regardless of their score. As a result, even those who would otherwise qualify for a camp based on low security points are placed in Low security institutions, representing a significant increase in custody level and restrictions. In addition to finding safe housing limitations, the BOP imposes communication restrictions on many sex offenders. One such restriction is limited or denied access to CorrLinks, the BOP's monitored email system. Advocates like Barrera-Leaf have pushed for change, emphasizing that family contact is vital for inmate well-being and reentry. In correspondence with the BOP, Barrera-Leaf noted that restricting email access "… severely hampers communication for Adults in Custody already struggling with the challenges of incarceration." CorrLinks offers a basic messaging platform that does not support hyperlinks or attachments but is still a crucial tool for staying connected. With phone calls capped at 300 minutes per month and limited to 15 minutes per session, sex offenders who lack email access are left with few options to maintain ties with their families and communities—relationships proven to be essential for rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. As to the unequal treatment of sex offenders in its prisons, Donald Murphy with the BOP's Office of Public Affairs provided a statement, 'As a general matter, the BOP takes seriously our duty to protect all individuals entrusted to our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community. As part of that obligation, we review safety protocols and implement corrective actions when identified as necessary in those reviews to ensure that our mission of operating safe, secure, and humane facilities is fulfilled.' Judges Recognize the Problem Joshua Fields was an inmate in federal prison who believed he had been incorrectly classified as a sex offender. Life behind bars was pure hell for Mr. Fields who also suffered from mental illness. Judge U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty held a hearing and asked the BOP to consider removing the public safety factor for sex offender. Neither was done. In his next video hearing, McCafferty appeared on screen beaten and bruised. Upon seeing him, Judge McCafferty made the following statement, 'Mr. Fields made an oral request for the court to transfer him to the Strafford County House of Corrections or alternatively to order his immediate release on home confinement. The court construes his request as a motion for compassionate release.' The court ordered legal counsel be appointed for Fields on an expedited basis for a compassionate release hearing. During the next hearing, Fields was being held at the Strafford County House of Corrections, a place he and the judge believed would be safer. Fields appeared on the video screen with a red face and blackeye, explained that his orbital bone had been fractured by a prisoner at the jail who had discovered through an internet search that Fields was classified by BOP as a sex offender. Judge McCafferty ordered that Fields be released, writing in her Order, 'In this case, the error in Fields's original PSR [Presentence Report] that caused BOP to misclassify Fields as a sex offender is akin to a sentencing error. BOP's subsequent noncompliance with the court order compounded the error and prevented him from completing rehabilitative programming ... the mistake in Field's PSR and BOP's noncompliance with a court order, have made Fields's sentence disproportionately punitive.' At that hearing, neither government prosecutors nor US Probation objected to Fields' request for immediate release from BOP custody. Attorney Kelley told me that everyone in the criminal justice system could benefit from more understanding of the challenges people on the spectrum face in terms of their deficits in communication, understanding, and socialization. 'These challenges,' she said, "are magnified in the prison environment where people on the spectrum can be oblivious to the unwritten rules and the target of bullying.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
These Are The Common Daily Habits That Experts Are Ringing The Alarm On Because They Increase Your Risk Of Dementia
As folks grow older, many health fears come to mind. But one in particular tends to really worry folks. 'One of the most consuming fears of older adults [is] that they might lose their memory and become a burden to others,' said Dr. James Ellison, a geriatric psychiatrist at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. The specific type of memory loss that's a top fear for many older adults is known as dementia, which is an umbrella term that refers to conditions that cause 'mental loss, cognitive loss that's severe enough to affect daily function,' said Dr. Victor Henderson, the director of the NIH Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in California. Dementia may make someone forget their address, not remember why they're running a certain errand or no longer be able to pay bills they always pay. It's a scary disease that some folks are genetically predisposed to, but there are thought to be lifestyle habits, too, that can put you at heightened risk. 'Let me begin with a caveat; there are a lot of lifestyle factors that have been associated with the risk of developing dementia. The caveat is that most of these haven't been studied, at least adequately studied, in randomized clinical trials,' said Henderson. Related: Meaning, following the guidance below isn't going to totally prevent a dementia diagnosis, but these are habits that also benefit your health as a whole. So, there's no reason not to follow them, whether they are good for lowering your dementia risk, chance of a heart attack or bettering your mood. Here's what to know: 1. Ignoring the impact food has on your brain health. 'Many of the things that we talk about for dementia prevention or brain health optimization are the types of things that people will be familiar with hearing from cardiovascular and other health initiatives,' said Dr. Christina Prather, director of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. 'We always have said, what's good for the heart is good for the brain,' Dr. Rudy Tanzi, the director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, previously told HuffPost. Just as the Mediterranean diet ― which is high in healthy fats, lean meats, whole grains, fruits and veggies — is good for your heart health, it's also good for your brain health, and is a diet that Prather recommends. She also suggest following the MIND diet, which encourages whole grains, beans, berries, leafy greens, fish, olive oil and other foods that are said to have brain health benefits. A plant-based diet is also a good one to follow for brain health, Prather noted. 2. Not managing other health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and more. You shouldn't shy away from managing your medical conditions, Prather said. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, are dementia risk factors, she said. 'Really aggressively managing those risk factors is well established to be a way of reducing the risk of cognitive health dementia in the future,' Prather said. 'This is particularly important for vascular risk factors like atrial fibrillation or high blood pressure or hyperlipidemia,' Ellison added. Doing so protects circulation, blood supply, and oxygen supply to the brain, Ellison noted. This is important for the prevention of vascular dementia in particular, which happens when blood flow is blocked to the brain. Vascular dementia is a common kind of dementia. 3. Not getting enough restorative sleep. Related: 'People need to sleep adequately because the brain renews itself during deep sleep and lowers its concentration of beta amyloid, which is the toxic protein that contributes to the development of Alzheimer's disease,' said Ellison. Prather added that you should also be sure to treat any sleep disorders that are interfering with your rest. 'There is an epidemic of undiagnosed sleep apnea in older adults,' Prather said. And sleep apnea results in poor-quality sleep. Sleep can also be impacted by the use of medications that induce sleep, she noted. 'Those are all signs your body is not getting the restorative sleep that it needs to consolidate memories and to have the most optimal cognitive function going forward,' said Prather. 4. Not making time for friends and family. It's also important to prioritize social connections, said Prather. 'We know that loneliness and depression and isolation are exceptionally negative for health,' she noted. 'They have impacts on cognition as well as mortality,' said Prather. 'Loneliness is an epidemic among older adults, and has a mortality associated with it [that's] similar to moderate smoking,' said Ellison. Keeping your mind socially engaged is also an important way to stay cognitively engaged, Prather said, whether that's by taking part in conversations or listening to stories from loved ones. 5. Drinking too much alcohol. Related: Lots of recent research has found that alcohol is not good for your health. It can lead to liver damage, increase your risk of certain cancers, and it's also not good for your brain health. 'I tell people, if you're having issues with your cognition or you're worried about your memory, one of the first pieces of advice I'm going to give you is to reduce your alcohol use,' said Prather. Just like our body as a whole, the liver is aging and can't handle alcohol the same way it could when you were 21. 'The other piece about alcohol is not only that, it's a direct toxin (we increasingly know it increases risk for almost all cancers), but it can really disrupt sleep,' Prather said. Next time you have a drink before bed, notice how it impacts your sleep, she suggested. And, as mentioned above, it's important to get restorative sleep to reduce your dementia risk. After 65, it's recommended that folks have no more than one standard drink a day and no more than seven in a week, Prather noted. The CDC recommends no more than two drinks each day for men and no more than one for women. 6. Skipping out on exercise. According to Ellison, it's important to both live a generally active lifestyle and get in aerobic and other forms of exercise. This could mean walking to do your errands instead of driving while also making plans to go to a workout class or go for a bike ride. 'It's recommended that older adults exercise 30 minutes aerobically, five days a week, but only about 10% of those over 75 meet that level of activity,' said Ellison. Exercise is good for your cardiovascular health, which, as mentioned above, is also good for your brain health. Prather added that fitness is something you should be prioritizing no matter your age and, 'well before any cognitive changes happen.' 7. Not wearing a helmet. Related: 'One of the things I tell my patients is, if you're bicycling, wear a helmet,' said Henderson. 'There have been a huge number of observational studies linking head injury to dementia,' Henderson added. There is a consistent association that head injuries likely do play a role in dementia risk, he said. How large of a role does it play in someone's dementia risk? 'The answer might be that it doesn't play a huge role at a population level, but on an individual level, it's probably really important,' said Henderson. 8. Ignoring depressive symptoms. 'As a psychiatrist, of course I want to shine a little light on depression,' Ellison said. While severe depression isn't as common in older adults when compared to younger adults, both severe depression and low-grade depressive symptoms can disrupt the things that are important for cognitive health such as socialization, exercise, self-care and diet, Ellison noted. 'So, treatment of depression may be one way of improving cognitive aging,' he said. Dementia rates are decreasing and it may be due to some of these lifestyle habits — but if someone does develop dementia, it's not their fault. 'The number of people with dementia is increasing. I think everyone is aware of that. But it's increasing in part because the number of people living to a very old age is increasing,' said Henderson. Most dementia happens in older folks, Henderson added. But, on the bright side, 'if you look at the actual chance of getting dementia at a particular age, it's actually come down slightly, not a whole lot, but slightly, and it seems to parallel advances in taking care of cardiovascular health,' Henderson said. There are also now disease-modifying FDA-approved medications for the most common form of dementia, which is Alzheimer's, said Ellison, who stressed that it's important to start these medications early on in the disease course. This makes it important to talk to your doctor if you do notice that you have cognitive challenges such as frequently misplacing items, memory changes that disturb your life or have trouble solving problems. 'It's so hard not to be afraid of something when most people have someone in their life that has been touched by this disease, and it feels as though your future risk of it ... is out of your control. But the things that we've talked about, all lifestyle changes that can be done better that are in our control,' said Prather. Still, there will be people who get types of dementia because of genetics or other unmodifiable risk factors, 'and we cannot set up the expectation that they failed to prevent [dementia] through their own actions or choices. That is just not fair,' Prather noted. 'But, for many of us, we can make changes to our lifestyle and know confidently that we've done everything that we can to prevent this,' she article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Solve the daily Crossword
