Up until last week, I had never heard of kratom, which is an herb grown in Southeast Asia — the different strains of which, depending on what you listen to, can be anything from a replacement for your morning coffee to something comparable to an LSD trip.

According to protectkratom.org:

Kratom is native to Southeast Asia and has been safely used there for centuries, and decades in the United States. The American Kratom Association advocates for pure kratom availability, scientific study of kratom, and appropriate consumer protections.

Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Union, is sponsoring bill S3549 that would require kratom to be regulated, prohibit the sale of kratom to anyone under 21, and establish administrative penalties for any person who sells a kratom product without product registration.

(Photo: Getty Images)
(Photo: Getty Images)
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Bramnick, a guest on my New Jersey 101.5 show says:

I got a call from some constituents. Apparently, Kratom is illegal in six or more states, and in many countries, including Australia.

Those six states are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and · Wisconsin.

It's illegal. It's a tropical plant, and if you take too much of it, it's harmful to your health. Apparently, the FDA is studying it, but they recognize it as a dangerous drug, but they haven't banned it.

So all I did in this piece of legislation is say that the health department needs to regulate it; we're not banning it. But somebody's gotta label it and tell people, 'You take too much of it, you're in the emergency room.' So it's a tropical plant that has significant effects, kind of like an opioid, right? So all I'm saying is, it's time for the health department to regulate. And so hopefully the bill will pass the legislature.

Mac Haddow, senior policy fellow at the American Kratom Association agrees with him.

(Photo: Clay Banks, Unsplash)
(Photo: Clay Banks, Unsplash)
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From David Mathau's post,

We want them to have a higher level of confidence that when they walk into a New Jersey store and they purchase a kratom product they know it’s not going to adulterated.

When I took calls on peoples' experiences with kratom, there were really no problems with it; nor with Dennis and Judi's listeners when they took calls, according to Dennis Malloy's post.

If you'd like to share your stories about kratom, or get involved with federal and state advocacy efforts or even donate to the cause, you can click here for protectkratom.org.

Weird things NJ taxes - and some they don't

In general, New Jersey assesses a 6.625% Sales Tax on sales of most tangible personal property, specified digital products, and certain services unless specifically exempt under New Jersey law.
However, the way the sales tax is applied in New Jersey sometimes just doesn't make sense.
New Jersey puts out an itemized list for retailers that spells out what is, and what is not, taxed. 
Perhaps because this is New Jersey, there are some bizarre and seemingly contradictory listings. 

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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