Three seemingly unrelated headlines dominated the news in recent weeks: NBA star Brandon Clarke passed away, the family of a teenager who died from a drug overdose after prompting by ChatGPT sued OpenAI, and the resignation of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.

But, there’s a disturbing thread that ties these disconnected stories together: Kratom — a deadly drug sold in convenience stores across America. For years, the government has failed to act. That failure has cost lives, and now is the time for a federal ban on kratom.