Science
Prominent kratom scientist failed to disclose financial ties to lobbying group
University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy has actively lobbied to keep the substance legal without declaring travel reimbursements and donations from the American Kratom Association.
The short version
- University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy, a leading researcher advocating against the criminalization of kratom, has routinely omitted his financial and travel ties to the American Kratom Association (AKA) in conflict of interest statements and published papers.
- The AKA, an industry lobbying group, has frequently deployed McCurdy to brief lawmakers and health officials to convince them that kratom is safe enough to remain legally available.
- While McCurdy maintains his scientific views are independent, critics argue his lack of transparency obscures the industry's influence as federal data links kratom to thousands of overdose deaths.
Key facts
- University of Florida professor Christopher McCurdy has accepted travel reimbursements, university foundation donations, and symposium funding from the American Kratom Association (AKA) without disclosing them in conflict of interest statements or published research.[ProPublica]
- The AKA has deployed McCurdy to brief state and federal lawmakers, as well as international delegates, to argue that kratom should remain legal and accessible.[ProPublica]
- McCurdy's research, which focuses on turning kratom's dominant compound into an addiction treatment, is supported by an estimated $100 million in federal grants, which could be disrupted if the substance is outlawed.[ProPublica]
- Between 2020 and 2024, the CDC reported 5,200 drug overdose deaths in the United States involving kratom, and poison control center calls involving the substance have surged by 1,200% over the last decade.[ProPublica]
- McCurdy stated that his scientific conclusions are based on over two decades of research and are not dictated by the AKA or any other outside group.[ProPublica]
- Virginia pharmacist Jennifer Brandt obtained McCurdy's emails through public records requests and prompted a medical journal to issue a correction disclosing McCurdy's work as an expert witness, though the correction did not mention his lobbying ties.[ProPublica]
What remains uncertain
- The total monetary value of the travel expenses reimbursed to McCurdy by the AKA remains unclear, as neither party has provided specific figures and the university only requires disclosure for travel exceeding $5,000 per calendar year.[ProPublica]