drugs

The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services. The cuts could total as much as $2 billion.

Missouri has approved three recovery high schools to open in Kansas City, St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. The schools will help support students with their recovery from substance use while they earn their high school degree.

Rescheduling won't allow interstate commerce, federal legalization or an instant federal regulatory takeover. But it will give Missouri marijuana companies some tax relief.

Contracts are in place for a $7 million project that will test the wastewater of public schools in Missouri for signs of fentanyl and other drug use.

The FDA sent warning letters in June to the facility owners, Shaman Botanicals LLC and Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, stating the 7-OH products were considered “adulterated” and their labels were illegal under federal food laws.

Kansas-City-based Shaman Botanicals LLC — the leading supplier of 7-OH in Missouri — received letters from both the FDA and Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.

7-OH is sold as gummies, candies, imitation ice cream cones, liquid shots, tablets and powders. Kansas City-based Shaman Botanicals has been at the center of the drug's rise, and received a warning from the FDA.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending federal funding for Housing First programs that offer permanent housing without requiring mental health or drug services. Homeless advocates say it could undo their work.

Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin are getting more attention from doctors and lawmakers, including in Missouri and Kansas, as a potential treatment for mental health conditions. Dr. Christine Ziemer, a professor at Missouri Western State University, discusses the landscape around Kansas City.

For nearly a decade, overdoses have killed hundreds of Missourians annually as deadly synthetic opioids circulated among drug users. The latest data indicates the decrease in deaths could indicate a sustained trend.

A new three-part investigative series from The Kansas City Star highlights the rise of the drug 7-OH — a highly concentrated opioid-like substance derived from kratom — and the role of a Kansas City company in its growing popularity.

Addiction resources go unused if people aren’t willing to talk about substance use in the first place. A local nonprofit, First Call, is helping Kansas Citians find available support.