ProPublica: Kratom scientist failed to disclose industry funding
University of Florida researcher Christopher McCurdy, who advises policymakers on kratom safety, accepted travel, donations, and symposium funding from the American Kratom Association without disclosing the ties.
What to know
- University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy, who advises U.S. policymakers on kratom legalization, has accepted undisclosed travel reimbursements, donations, and symposium funding from the American Kratom Association, the industry's primary lobbying group.
- McCurdy's public advocacy emphasizes kratom's therapeutic potential while downplaying risks, despite his own published research documenting severe withdrawal symptoms in newborns, dependency, and user deaths; 5,200 Americans died from kratom-related overdoses between 2020-2024.
- Unlike other scientists who consult with the kratom association, McCurdy has not disclosed these financial ties in his conflict-of-interest statements or published papers, allowing him to maintain a public reputation as a neutral scientific arbiter.
- McCurdy's federally-funded research ($100 million in grants) developing kratom compounds into addiction treatment could face disruption if kratom is criminalized, creating a potential financial incentive beyond the disclosed industry support.
“University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy has accepted travel reimbursements, donations to his university's foundation and funding for an annual symposium on research into the leaf's medicinal potential from the American Kratom Association — none of which has been disclosed in his conflict of interest statements or on the papers he publishes.”
ProPublica · ProPublica
Christopher McCurdy University of Florida professor, leading kratom legalization scientistAmerican Kratom Association Kratom industry lobbying groupProPublica News organization conducting investigation
The record 8 articles and posts · last 23 days
- summary covers to here · Sep 1, 3:24 PM · 4 pieces above arrived after
What people are saying 24 voices from 2 sites · best of 82 · verbatim
- Sep 6
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On a lobbyist-funded trip, McCurdy told Arkansas lawmakers that kratom dependence was akin to reliance on caffeine, with similar withdrawal symptoms. Kratom users, and McCurdy himself, have described more severe dependence.
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“These things are technically legitimate but not intellectually honest,” Oransky said of McCurdy’s funding sources. “It’s obscuring what’s really happening.” We speak with @propublica.org.
- Sep 2
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The scientist most vigorously advocating for Kratom has ties to the industry that he doesn't disclose
- Sep 1
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*Kratom lobbyist* is now a playable class. 'The leading scientist urging policymakers not to criminalize kratom, a substance that has left a trail of death and addiction around the world, has routinely failed to disclose longstanding financial ties to the industry’s most powerful lobbying group, ProPublica has found. University of Florida…
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I had tried everything to get sober and heard about kratom with a group of people after an AA meeting. That was in 2016. Kratom, REAL kratom, not the gas station/head shop crap, is extremely beneficial. It’s been used for years in Asia for everything from pain, alcohol/opiate addiction to arthritis
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It’s also good for opioid withdrawal symptoms. It’s got many valid benefits but some folks don’t follow dosage guidelines
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Idk man. I know a lot of recovering addicts who have found kratom to help them very much & keeps them away from opioids. It should be regulated so they are getting proper dosage & purity but not banned. I’ve never done either so i have no skin in the game but i do see how much it has helped people.
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The issue isn't the safety or legalization of kratom. Reputable scientists *always* disclose funding sources, employment, affiliations etc that may cause a conflict of interest in research. It's completely basic, necessary & *central* to scientific objectivity. WHY didn't he declare his interest?
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Is this demanding that everyone pay their own travel to speaking engagements? No. It’s demanding that scientists disclose any potential bias or conflict of interest.
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Nothing wrong with pure kratom, it's the gas station bullshit that's fucking shit up...
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Plant from southeast Asia that's similar to opioids in effect. I live in the Netherlands where it's legal and tried it once with some tea & lemon. Nice stress relief but as always watch out with how much you consume
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You know how many peoples lives and finances kratom has f'd up? "Well at least it's not killing people" is not a reason for Pro Publica to not expose the shady people raking in billions a year while trying to muddy up information the public gets just so they can keep the money machine going.
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don't like kratom, don't take kratom there, problem solved
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Yeah its true while addicts switch to kratom they prob won't die, but as far as withdrawl, you're just kicking the can down the road and its not sustainable to just use kratom your whole life. A lot of junkies eventually end up using suboxone to quit kratom anyway.
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The shady supplement industry is really cranking out the bots for this one.
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Don’t care. Kratom has many good qualities and if you think the alcohol and tobacco lobbies and big pharma aren’t pulling every sleazy move to get it banned, you’re wrong.
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Follow the position appointments: DeSantis appoints Nelson as part of his administration. Nelson was appointed senior VP for health affairs at the UF & president of UF Health in 2019. He oversees all of UF Health, the academic health center, including job slots. Then, in comes McCurdy.
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Who gives a shit prohibition doesn’t work and kratom can be used to mitigate opiate withdrawal symptoms which would help people who might otherwise die from fentanyl. Get real problems
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NEW: University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy, the leading scientist urging policymakers not to criminalize kratom, has accepted travel reimbursements, donations to his university’s foundation and funding for symposiums from the American Kratom Association. None of this is mentioned in the papers he publishes.
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Correct. Prohibition never works. We have decades of data showing it only causes people to look for an alternative, frequently from potentially dangerous street drugs. That’s why the entire kratom plant, including the leaf and all its alkaloids, needs to be regulated for safety - not banned.
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Ok, you know what? Given the scale of corruption we face with more serious things like healthcare, war, etc., this is really low on the scale of importance. And kratom should be legal anyway. Your work is important, please focus.
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I don’t care about him. Botanical kratom leaf shouldn’t be banned. Regulate it; it’s already not for sale to minors, so enforce that. Banning it helps nobody and nothing, same thing Prohibition always does- people will find something more harmful to fill the void. You can’t OD on kratom leaf.
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University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy, the leading scientist urging policymakers not to criminalize kratom, has accepted travel reimbursements, donations to his university’s foundation and funding for symposiums from the American Kratom Association. None of this is mentioned in the papers he publishes. https://www…
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NEW: Christopher McCurdy, the leading scientist urging policymakers not to criminalize kratom, has accepted travel reimbursements, donations to his university’s foundation and funding for symposiums from the American Kratom Association. None of this is mentioned in the papers he publishes.