Complexities and Controversies in Assessing, Diagnosing, and Managing Kratom Use

Friday, April 25, 2025

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Presenter(s)

Kirsten E. Smith, MSW, PhD

Assistant Professor
Johns Hopkins University
Westminster, Maryland
SW

Stephanie T. Weiss, MD, PhD, FAACT, FASAM

Staff Research Physician
National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program
National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program
Baltimore, Maryland
IL

Ian Latham, MD, FASAM

Addiction Medicine Physician
Gundersen Health System
La Crosse, Wisconsin
RL

Robert B. Levy, MD, FASAM

Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Non-presenting author(s)

Benjamin B. Swart, MD, FASAM

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Long Lake, Minnesota

Given the heterogeneity of kratom consumers, the array of products, and limitations in current assessment and testing methods, clinicians may not be equipped for evidence-based practice with respect to patients who use kratom or who may have DSM-5-derived kratom use disorder (KUD). The purpose of this focus session is to help fill knowledge and practice gaps in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients who use kratom and enable scientifically-informed practice decisions.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to:

Define the different types of kratom products in the US and describe how product, formulation, and dose are relevant in the understanding of kratom use.
Identify differences between kratom-related physical dependence symptoms (e.g., tolerance, withdrawal) and kratom use disorder and explain their relevance in assessment and treatment.
Develop clinical skills to conduct assessments of kratom use and kratom use disorder, including appropriate use of laboratory testing, and evaluate treatment options in light of confounding factors.

Disclosure(s):

Kirsten E. Smith, M.S.W., PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Stephanie T. Weiss, MD, PhD, FASAM, FAACT: No financial relationships to disclose

Ian Latham, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Robert B. Levy, MD FASAM: No financial relationships to disclose

Benjamin B. Swart, MD, FASAM: No financial relationships to disclose