DEA Raids Mississippi Home Of GOP House Candidate

The Biloxi Sun Herald reports:

The home and businesses of Biloxi Councilman Robert Deming III were raided Thursday by the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement officers. Locations of The Candy Shop & Kratom in Biloxi, Gulfport and Ocean Springs also were searched.

“We had complaints at the businesses in and around the Gulf Coast of products that were sold and having ill effects on people consuming them,” DEA Agent Chris Bell said. The concerns were with who the products were being sold to, their ages and the effects on “people who basically were ending up in hospitals over this,” he said.

Deming is an attorney and was elected to Biloxi Council in 2013. In 2020 he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives for the seat then held by former Rep. Steven Palazzo, who was reelected for his final term.

From the Mayo Clinic:

Kratom is believed to act on opioid receptors. At low doses, kratom acts as a stimulant, making users feel more energetic. At higher doses, it reduces pain and may bring on euphoria. At very high doses, it acts as a sedative, making users quiet and perhaps sleepy.

Some people take kratom to avoid the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and because kratom may be bought more easily than prescription drugs. Kratom is also used at music festivals and in other recreational settings. People who use kratom for relaxation report that because it is plant-based, it is natural and safe.

However, the amount of active ingredient in kratom plants can vary greatly, making it difficult to gauge the effect of a given dose. Depending on what is in the plant and the health of the user, taking kratom may be very dangerous. Claims about the benefits of kratom can’t be rated because reliable evidence is lacking.

On his campaign site, Deming stakes out the usual MAGA positions on abortion, immigration, guns, healthcare, etc. He also declares that “government has no place in charity.” Deming finished second in the 2020 Republican US House primary and it appears he plans another run in 2024.