Federal officials target synthetic kratom 'gas station opioid'…

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorHere's the one-sentence version: federal officials are going after concentrated, lab-made versions of kratom that critics call gas station opioids.

2. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorGas station opioids. That's a phrase nobody wants on a menu.

3. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe Hill reports the Drug Enforcement Administration signaled heightened concern about kratom-derived products, and lawmakers are worried too.

4. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWait, is kratom the same as the stuff in the products?

5. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNot exactly. Kratom is a plant. The concern is about synthetically concentrated derivatives that mimic opioid effects, according to The Hill's reporting.

6. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo it's the difference between an orange and a very strong orange-flavored chemistry project.

7. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThat's a fair picture. The plant is one thing, and what gets made from it is another.

8. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHow did this end up by the register?

9. 

   Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe story says these products spread widely. I don't have more detail than that, and it's not clear yet how many people use them.

10. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWho's affected, then? Just people who buy them?

11. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorMostly buyers, but also families, stores that stock them, and lawmakers who'd have to decide what the rules should be.

12. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorStores. The gas station has a conscience now, and a very small one.

13. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSome will say tighter rules protect public health. Others will say a plant shouldn't be treated like a drug, and the line matters.

14. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorBoth sides sound reasonable, which is rare tonight.

15. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe Hill's editors frame it as the government targeting products that mimic opioid effects, so that's where the pressure is pointed.

16. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd what happens next?

17. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorIt's not clear yet. Watch for whether the DEA acts, and whether Congress picks it up.

18. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the beef jerky is the safest thing in the store?

19. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorVera, I'm afraid the jerky may be the healthiest item in the building.

20. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThen the one-sentence version is: not everything at the register is a snack.

21. 

    Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorCorrect.

22. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo what's the safest thing to buy at a gas station, Chip?