Troy Harvey at Sunshine Supply Kava Bar
Photo by: Matthew Beck
Troy Harvey witnessed firsthand his loved ones’ struggle with the withdrawals of painkiller addiction. As an ex-addict himself, he knew how debilitating quitting can be.
“I actually just begged God to remove this addiction,” he said.
While Harvey found sobriety in other ways, he owes some of his loved ones’ recovery to kratom – an herbal leaf known to provide increased energy and a high like opiates.
Kratom, which contains psychoactive chemicals and acts on the same receptors as opioids, has become increasingly popular statewide despite some controversy surrounding its use.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill June 2 regulating its sale to consumers, and over half a dozen shops sell the plant in some capacity across Citrus and Marion counties, including Harvey’s own business, Sunshine Supply Kava and Botanical Teas.
For the people he’s seen use it both in and outside of his botanical bar, Harvey said kratom could serve as a means of waning off addictive opiates.
“I’ve witnessed many others, including family members, use kratom to build a bridge from addiction to normal life,” Harvey said.
Research does point to kratom being a potentially effective tool to fight addiction. Testing on mice revealed some of the compounds in kratom could be used to treat alcohol use disorder if further developed.
Beyond rehabilitation, others use it as a safer alternative to alleviate anxiety, physical injury and receive boosts of energy
“Personally I use it for anxiety and pain, and nothing has ever worked better for me,” said bar employee and kratom user Katharine Hewetson.
The plant has also seen backlash after multiple lawsuits have been filed alleging deaths caused by kratom, including a Boynton Beach woman in 2022.
Kratom is illegal in six states and in Sarasota County, after the Food and Drug Administration repeatedly warned against its use.
A majority of the reports of kratom-related deaths came from the substance being mixed with other substances, and data limitations didn’t allow for a conclusive association between the plant, heart damage or death, according to a Frontiers in Pharmacology report.
The report did find kratom users to be at increased risk of kratom-induced liver injury, irregular heart rhythms and neurological defects.
Part of the push for state legislation came from concerns of kratom vendors lacing the products with other substances.
The Senate bill’s sponsor, Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, said kratom itself can only be helpful when protections are placed through consumer regulation.
“We don’t want people to spike it or cut it,” Gruters said, “We want an unadulterated, pure form going to the consumer at the end of the day.”
The bill requires vendors to submit a sample of its kratom to a certified third-party lab as part of its annual registration with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It also bans anyone under 21 from purchasing kratom.
Another concern of kratom critics’ is its potential addictiveness. Online Facebook groups dedicated to quitting kratom have thousands of members and describe feeling cravings as well as a general loss of energy.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office has not had to issue a Marchman Act – involuntarily ordering substance abuse treatment – to anyone in reference to kratom, CCSO spokesperson Sydney Hudson said.
Additionally, she said, the agency “has not received any increasing concerns involving the use of kratom.”
While further research could change kratom’s perception either way, those using it locally find benefits both from the plant itself and its surrounding culture.
Joseph Brescia, an Inverness resident and regular at Harvey’s business, said he’s seen friends and strangers alike open up socially both from the plant itself and the community that frequents the bars.
“This community is really full of open-mindedness, as hippie as that sounds,” Brescia said.
The state regulations will go into effect July 1.
~ By Aidan Bush Chronicle Reporter
