Top kratom researcher fails to reveal financial ties to industry lobbyists
University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy has repeatedly omitted his financial connections to the American Kratom Association while advocating against kratom bans.
Investigative reporting shows that Christopher McCurdy, a leading University of Florida scientist, has repeatedly concealed financial support from the American Kratom Association, including travel costs, donations to the university’s foundation and funding for an annual kratom symposium. While presenting himself as a neutral expert, he has traveled to key states and to the United Nations to persuade officials that kratom should remain legal, even as CDC records attribute 5,200 overdose deaths to the plant between 2020 and 2024 and poison-control calls have surged 1,200% over a decade.
McCurdy’s own research acknowledges severe withdrawal in newborns and potential for dependency and death, yet he downplays risks in public testimony, comparing them to caffeine or water. Critics such as pharmacist Jennifer Brandt have demanded full disclosure, prompting journal corrections that now note his role as an expert witness in kratom litigation. The American Kratom Association, which spends about $2.5 million annually on lobbying, continues to rely on scientists like McCurdy to shape policy while distinguishing whole-leaf kratom from newer, more potent derivatives.
Why it matters
Undisclosed industry funding can skew scientific advice that shapes drug policy and public health safeguards.
In this story
