CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A new push aims to regulate a popular drug sold in smoke shops around Tennessee.

Kratom is a plant based product often sold as a dietary supplement.

Experts say it is widely available across the state and has earned the nickname “gas station heroin” for its addictive properties and opioid-like effects at higher doses.

27-year-old Matthew Davenport died in May.

“We lost our Matthew a little over a year ago,” said his mother, Karen Davenport.

She explained that a lethal interaction between kratom and his prescribed medication led to his death.

“It caused a lethal interaction, and he didn’t wake up,” Davenport said.

Davenport, a nurse practitioner, had never heard of kratom until it appeared in her son’s toxicology report.

“Then I looked it up, and it scared me that it was actually legal to sell here in the state of Tennessee,” says Davenport

State Representative Esther Helton-Haynes has sponsored a resolution urging Tennessee to regulate or ban the substance.

In a statement, she said, “The dangers of kratom were on display in Hamilton County last year when Matthew Davenport tragically passed away because of this harmful substance. Passing House Joint Resolution 147 was the critical first step in protecting the health and well-being of Tennesseans.”

Tommy Farmer, Director of the Statewide Dangerous Drugs Task Force, explained that kratom’s active compound, mitragynine, can act as a stimulant in small doses and mimic opioids in large ones.

“It is not just a simple home remedy for dealing with your addiction,” Farmer said.

Ryan Scafe, Director of Client Relations at Renew Ministries, noted the rising number of people struggling with kratom dependency.

“Since there is no regulation, it’s like the wild wild west, and it’s only getting more potent and more potent,” he said.

Scafe, a recovering drug addict, described the severe withdrawals from kratom, citing a case where a man found kratom withdrawals worse than those from fentanyl and heroin.

However, not everyone supports regulation or a ban.

Former NASCAR driver Jack Smith, who became addicted to Percocet after breaking his neck twice, credits kratom for helping him overcome opioid dependence and manage chronic pain.

“Did you just think it was a miracle? Yeah. I truly did,” he said.

For families like the Davenports, the push for regulation is deeply personal.

“I don’t want anybody else to have to go through what we have gone through. My son didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know what he was taking and he assumed, because he wanted it at a gas station, that it was safe,” Davenport said.

Depend on us to keep you informed as we learn more.