ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- In the scientific community, it’s known as Mitragyna speciosa.
However, this tropical tree indigenous to Southeast Asia is more commonly referred to as kratom.
Although its usage in its native region dates back several centuries, the prevalence of kratom in the U.S. has increased in recent years, finding its way into products sold online and in gas stations and vape shops.
The ubiquity of kratom is a source of concern among Arnold Engineering Development Complex Drug Demand Reduction Program staff. The DDRP team wishes to alert fellow members of Team AEDC about the potential perils of intentional kratom use and to prevent personnel from unknowingly consuming items containing it.
“If you’re not careful, you could not even be planning to use it but just pick it up inadvertently at the gas station,” said AEDC DDRP Manager Tiffany Campbell.
Campbell said kratom and derivative substances, such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH, provide users with an “opioid-like effect.” According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, kratom is often used to self-treat conditions such as pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety, depression and opioid withdrawal.
Widely available products containing Kratom include edibles such as gummies, shots and beverages such as teas, vapes, tinctures, powders, pills, tablets and capsules.
Kratom is often marketed as a dietary supplement, pain reliever, energy booster or mood enhancer.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, low-dose kratom use produces stimulant effects, with users reporting increased alertness, physical energy and talkativeness. At high doses, users experience sedative effects.
Campbell pointed out there are health consequences to kratom consumption including liver damage and seizures.
The Mayo Clinic on its website lists side effects and additional safety concerns associated with kratom. These include weight loss, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, muscle pain, high blood pressure, dizziness, drowsiness, depression, and trouble breathing.
Campbell added users may run the risk of addiction to or dependence on kratom.
The DEA states kratom use can also lead to psychotic symptoms.
“Several cases of psychosis resulting from the use of kratom have been reported, where individuals addicted to kratom exhibited psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations, delusion and confusion,” the DEA Drug Fact Sheet on kratom states.
A report published in late March by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that an analysis of National Poison Data System data from 2015 to 2025 found an increase of approximately 1,200% in kratom-related exposure reports, from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 last year, including a “marked surge” in 2025. An exposure report is defined as actual or suspected contact with a substance that prompted a consultation with a poison center, regardless of toxicity or clinical manifestations.
Kratom is not currently listed under the federal Controlled Substances Act, meaning its use is not federally regulated and, therefore, legal.
“Granted, it’s not, but it’s also not [Food & Drug Administration] regulated, so you really don’t know what you’re getting in those supplements,” Campbell said. “You don’t know the potency. You don’t know what else is mixed in with it, so you’re truly just gambling, rolling the dice on what you might be taking and putting in your body.”
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, there are no prescription or over-the-counter drug products containing kratom or its known alkaloids that are legally on the market in the U.S. The agency states on its website that if a new drug application is submitted for kratom or one of its components to treat a specific medical condition, the FDA will review scientific data to determine if a drug product containing kratom is safe and effective to treat that condition.
“Consistent with FDA’s practice with unapproved substances, until the agency scientists can evaluate the safety and effectiveness of kratom (or its components) in the treatment of any medical conditions, FDA will continue to warn the public against the use of kratom for medical treatment,” the FDA website states. “The agency will also continue to monitor emerging data trends to better understand the substance and its components”
The FDA website further states kratom is not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement as there is “inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury.”
“Therefore, kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food,” the FDA states.
Kratom, mitragynine and 7-OH are prohibited for use by military service members, per Department of War policy. A memorandum issued Sept. 15, 2025, by the DoW Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness directed military departments to effect policies by Dec. 31, 2025, prohibiting the use of “products made or derived from kratom” among active duty service members.
The memorandum echoed the stance of FDA while also stating the use of high concentration kratom products can result in impairment and that its use can be linked to other detrimental health consequences.
“The FDA issued warnings in 2018 and 2024 highlighting the risk for serious adverse events, including death,” the memorandum states. “While kratom, mitragynine, and 7-hydroxymitragynine are not currently regulated under the Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Agency classifies them as a Drug and Chemical of Concern citing abuse, dependence, and harmful health effects. To date, 15 countries and 6 states have banned kratom.”
Along with pointing out the lack of kratom regulation, the memorandum stated the widespread availability of kratom products has created new concerns for service member safety.
“The use of these types of products by our service members is a danger to their health and thereby threatens combat readiness and national security,” the document reads.
Air Force Materiel Command Drug Demand Reduction Program Manager Steven Callon added the most immediate threat of kratom-related overdoses stems from mixing kratom and alcohol.
“Combining alcohol and kratom is a dangerous practice that significantly amplifies their sedative effects on the body,” Callon said. “This mixture can lead to life-threatening respiratory depression, accidental overdose and severe strain on the vital organs like the liver and heart.”
The DoW memorandum further stated that, aside from specific exceptions such as legitimate law enforcement activities and the performance of medical duties by authorized personnel, there existed a need to prohibit kratom use among active duty military personnel.
“Military necessity requires a prohibition of this scope, to spare service members from the serious adverse effects of kratom, mitragynine, and 7-hydroxymitragynine products, and ensure the combat readiness of individual service members and military units.”
The DoW has not released updated guidance on kratom usage among civilian personnel, said AEDC Civilian Personnel Section Chief Andrea Hanna.
“Despite a lack of specific guidance, the use of kratom is fundamentally inconsistent with the DoW’s commitment to a drug-free workplace,” Hanna added. “Federal health authorities have confirmed it poses serious risks, including impairment and abuse.”
The policies maintained by contractors across Arnold Engineering Development Complex pertaining to kratom usage vary.
In March 2025, Beyond New Horizons, the AEDC Test Operations and Sustainment contractor, added kratom to employee drug screenings due in part to its DEA classification as a Chemical of Concern and its appearance on the DoW Operation Supplement Safety program prohibited list.
“Due to the safety sensitive nature of the TOS work and well-documented effects of kratom, the decision was made to formally add it to the Substance Abuse Testing Program and prohibit its use by employees,” said BNH Safety, Health & Environmental Branch Manager Bill Sizemore.
Abacus Technology, the AEDC Base Communications and Information Technology Services contractor, does not have a specific campaign in place to address kratom usage among its employees, but its policy does warn against the abuse of legal drugs and use of illegal drugs consistent with state and federal restrictions.
The policy of Canvas, the AEDC Technical Management and Advisory Services contractor, prohibits the use of illegal substances defined by federal guidelines which include substances listed in the Controlled Substance Act. These include marijuana, cocaine, opioids, PCP and amphetamines. While kratom is not explicitly listed, a contractual safety requirement in the contractor's Safety Management Plan does prohibit intoxicating substances.
“Anyone under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, including prescription drugs that might impair motor skills and judgment, shall not be allowed on the job,” the plan states.
While the drug and alcohol policy of CW Resources, the custodial services contractor at Arnold Air Force Base, headquarters of AEDC, does not specifically mention kratom, the policy does prohibit drugs in the workplace. The policy defines drugs as illegal drugs, controlled substances and other intoxicants that “alter or impair a person’s judgement, clarity, reflexes, and functioning.”
Like CW Resources, APRO International Inc., the AEDC Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory contractor, has in place a drug-free workplace policy, though this policy does not specifically mention kratom.
At least six states have outright banned the sale of kratom, and various municipalities across the country have either banned or regulated it even in states where its sale and use is allowed.
“Some states have taken the measures of banning it just because it’s not regulated, and you could stand to reason that anything that’s not regulated by the FDA could be potentially unsafe,” Campbell said.
Currently, kratom is legal in Tennessee for those 21 and older. However, the Volunteer State could soon join others in banning it. Legislation is currently in both the Tennessee House of Representatives and Senate to ban kratom products.
AEDC Integrated Prevention and Response Director Lee Smith said DoW civilians and their families and military service members experiencing substance abuse issues can contact his office at 931-454-5494 to be connected with resources that may be able to help. DoW civilians and military personnel may also click the “Helping Agencies” icon on their work computer desktop to view the AEDC Connect to Care guidebook.
“Our office is always available to help the active-duty population and their families and civilians and their families,” Smith said.
Employee Assistance Programs are available for personnel across AEDC. Contact information for each group is listed below:
- Air Force civilians may contact Magellan Healthcare at 866-580-9078 or visit https://magellanascend.com/ (use code: USAF).
- Military members may contact Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 or visit https://www.militaryonesource.mil.
- CW Resources employees may contact EAP Essential Anytime at 1-800-460-4374 or visit https://guidanceresources.com.
- Perikin Enterprise employees may contact 1-800-697-7315 or visit https://wl.lifecare.com/home.
- Abacus Technology Corporation employees may contact 1-800-316-2796 or visit https://mutualofomaha.com/eap.
- Beyond New Horizons employees may contact ComPsych at 800-311-4327 or visit https://www.guidanceresources.com (use code: GRE311).
- Amentum PAE employees may contact ComPsych at 866-501-7962 (ID: AECOM) or visit https://www.guidanceresources.com.
- Akima employees may contact Lifeworks at 888-456-1324 or visit https://login.lifeworks.com/.
- Canvas employees may contact 1-855-239-0743.