Days as a trainer at Monmouth Park can be long and hard for 63-year-old Anthony Margotta Jr. But as someone who spent years wrestling an addiction to drugs and alcohol, Margotta said he “can’t take opioids or anything else” to soothe his pain.

So two years ago, when he read about kratom tea, a plant-based product used for pain management as well as increased energy and relaxation, he decided to try it. He bought the kratom powder online and started steeping it in hot water. A year later, he tried tablets made from a kratom-derived compound, known as 7-OH or, 7-hydroxymitragynine.

“It’s been a game changer for me,” said Margotta.

“To have something that I can purchase online and get delivered to my door, without having to go to a pharmacy, there’s a freedom to that I can’t even explain

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