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The AMA is calling on the FDA to hold botanical products — think kratom and cannabis — to the same scientific standards as conventional drugs. In a formal letter, AMA leaders warned that consumers are essentially acting as "real-world guinea pigs," with risks including dependence, overdose, and death. The message is clear: if a product is potent enough to help, it's potent enough to harm.
The American Medical Association (AMA) is urging the FDA to stop treating botanical products like a separate class and start holding them to the same rigorous standards as conventional drugs. In a formal letter, AMA CEO John J. Whyte, MD, MPH, expressed deep concern over the widespread use of "natural" products — including those derived from cannabis and kratom — without solid research backing their safety or efficacy.
AMA President Willie Underwood III warned that consumers are suffering serious consequences like dependence, substance use disorders, overdose, and death. Experts like Dr. Anita Gupta of Johns Hopkins echoed the call, noting that patients routinely fail to mention these products to their doctors because they don't think of them as drugs — a dangerous blind spot given their potential to affect bleeding, blood pressure, and drug metabolism.
Kratom is a particular flashpoint. The tropical plant has been widely used to self-treat pain, anxiety, and depression, but its derivatives carry morphine-like effects and serious risks.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: As botanical products grow more potent and more popular, the regulatory gap between them and conventional drugs is becoming a public health hazard. The AMA's push for FDA oversight could reshape how millions of Americans access — and understand the risks of — "natural" health products.
