Stopping the Ohio Ban

In this episode, Diana is joined by co-host Christopher Deeney of Christopher’s Organic Botanicals and special guest Matthew Stewart of Spirit Apotheosis in Ohio for an in-depth and timely conversation about kratom, plant medicine, and government regulation. The discussion centers on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s rapid move from an emergency ban on synthetic kratom derivatives (such as 7-OH) toward a potential outright ban on all natural kratom products. Matthew shares his personal and professional journey with kratom, explaining how he has responsibly sold whole-leaf kratom since 2009 and personally relies on it for chronic pain management—without pharmaceuticals. The trio also highlights Ohio’s history as ground zero of the opioid epidemic and frames kratom as a harm-reduction tool that has helped many people avoid or step down from dangerous narcotics. Subscribe to our Substack for updates