In his new episode, Oliver discusses kratom and the other drugs that you can buy in a gas station without any pesky regulation. There are three main categories for this: Kratom and its associated 7-OH; Tianeptine, which some people testified in interviews felt like doing heroin for the first time; and the so-called “gas station boner pills,” which are quite likely just pills full of anything from aspirin to drywall to a major overdose of Viagra’s active ingredients packed in plastic bought off Ali Baba depicting some kind of virile animal (rhinos seem to be a favorite).
All of these have risks; some of the boner pills, for example, feature about ten times the recommended dose of a premature ejaculation drug that has not been approved by the FDA in the United States. But others are downright addictive, sending buyers to rehab, sometimes after they spent $100,000 in a single year on 7-OH. While Oliver actually gives RFK Jr. a smidge of credit for an attempt to crack down on the industry, though he was less confident that we would find a particularly helpful solution. “Something clearly has to be done with this industry,” says Oliver near the segment’s conclusion. “The key thing is to do it very carefully. In the case of products containing kratom, 7-OH, and Tianeptine, a lot of people have now become dependent on them, and I want to be absolutely clear about this. If states are going to start banning some of these drugs, that should only happen alongside a plan to help people who cannot suddenly stop using them, whether it’s because they’re using them to treat pain or because they’ve become addicted.” Check out the whole segment below.
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