Oct. 24, 2025: State Advocacy Update

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New issue brief provides kratom and tianeptine basics, AMA recommendations

A new issue brief (PDF) from the AMA Advocacy Resource Center provides key information about kratom and tianeptine—two unregulated substances that have generated increasing reports of public health harms. The issue brief includes basic information about the substances, including the fact that neither has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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The AMA recommends the safety and efficacy of kratom should be determined through research and clinical trials and subsequently evaluated by the relevant regulatory entities for its appropriateness for sale and potential oversight via the Controlled Substances Act, before it can be marketed, purchased or prescribed. The AMA also advocates to ban the sale of tianeptine directly to the public in the absence of research into the safety and efficacy of the substance. 

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