This doesn’t mean feds couldn’t move more quickly to ban kratom. Sounds like DEA has options lined up. They’d just need to publish new intent to schedule (or whatever plan) to the Federal Register. But timeline doesn’t appear to have changed. Days/weeks/months — nobody’s saying.
After suggestion that decision on banning kratom could be coming imminently, DEA spox tells me there's been no movement. Kratom hasn’t been mentioned in planning sessions. "It is as if it has been completely forgotten,” he said. Doubts there will be action before Christmas.