February 10, 2026 • 5 mins
Bret and Veronica are joined by San Diego Detox's Billy Giorgi, who tells them about kratom, a legal but not FDA approved supplement that acts on the same brain receptors as opioids.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you heard of kratom yet. Well, it's a supplement
sold next to energy drinks and vape pens at smoke
shops and convenience stores all over San Diego.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It is illegal, it is not FDA approved, and it
contains compounds that act on the same brain receptors as opioidge,
which is raising some red flags. And that's why we're
going to turn to the director of Admissions and Business
Development at San Diego Detox, Billy Gory. Billy, thank you
so much for joining us on San diegos Warning News.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Thank you, thank you so much, No problem, happy to
be here.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Let's do Let's back up a little bit and talk
about creatim. This is the first time I'm hearing of it.
What is it and what do we need to know
when we're going into these gas stations.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So creatim is disguised as a supplement.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Oftentimes you'll see.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It behind the counter at a gas station or a
convenience store. And what it is is actually it's from
a tree in Southeast Asia, so it's actually a root
and it.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Wasn't actually originally designed for what people are using.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
It for illicit purposes now, But now what we've seen
is it become a substance of abuse.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
What's scary to me about this is the fact that
you can buy it at a gas station, which means
everyone thinks that it's safe.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Exactly exactly, it's sitting right next to a gas station
like you would buy tailanol or you know, any other
type of medication or vitamin for the day.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's disguised in packaging.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
The design is a health and wellness supplement, and so people.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Go in and they buy it not knowing you know,
what it can lead to.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
What is the attractiveness to this? Does it give you
a high?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
So?
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Yeah, it actually, like you mentioned at the beginning of
your spiel, it attaches to the same opiate receptors that
a regular opiate would, so it produces a uphoric effect.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
So a lot of.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Times clients that are in our care struggle with creatim
usually fallone the one or two categories. Typically it's somebody
that's just you know, totally unexpecting. They go in, they
might see it might provide an added energy boost, and
so they take it and it feels good and it
works at first. And in the second category of individuals
or individuals that are in recovery, oftentimes their drug of
(02:21):
choice is something else, So something like alcohol or methanthetamine.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
They may have appeared of sobrieting them.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
They're just looking for an extra boost, and because it's
you know, labeled as something that's you know, harmless in
the supplement, they choose to use it. It produces the
same uphoric effect that they were used to chasing during
their addiction, and then it leads them back into an
addiction spiral.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
We're talking to Billy Georgia at San Diego Detox. Now, Billy,
here's the question. Are some people more susceptible to becoming
addicted to this than others?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
You know, that's something that is still being researched.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
I would definitely say that individuals that have a propensity
for addiction definitely would find themselves in that trap more
than the average person.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Is there any legitimate medical upside to this particular compound,
I mean not.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
That we that we can discover, just because right now
it's not FDA proved, it's not being managed by a physician,
so it's not regulated at all. You know, ten years
ago it was you know, it came in powder form
and individuals had to ingest pretty large quantities to experience
the uphoric effect that we've been talking about now with
(03:34):
seven EH, which is what we see at Santega Detox
more and more, and we actually rarely see the traditional
old kretom.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
It's a more potent extract, so.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
It produces a U fourth effect pretty instantaneously.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Our law enforcement, you know, is the Law Enforcement Committee
worried about this? Are doctors worried about this? Are we
trying to do anything to get it off the shelves?
Speaker 3 (03:58):
So doctors are definitely worried about this. I mean, like
I said, we've seen.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
An increase in individuals that are coming for specifically creative
use at Santego Detox, especially over the last year to
six months. It's something that we're very passionate about, you know,
addressing and figuring out what's the best way to treat it.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Right now, the best way.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
That we've seen and treated is is similar to what
you do with opiates, something like fetanol or heroin. We
use subox and maintenance in a scheduled taper to help
safely and comfortably detox individuals from creatim As far as
law enforcement, I think it's still in the early stages
of that.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
I know here in San Diego.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
There's been two cities that have banned it, the City
of San Diego and the city.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Of Ocean Side.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That happened in twenty sixteen. But the funny thing about
that is is since then there's only been three arrests.
So since twenty sixteen, only three arrests. I live here
in Ocean Side. There's a liquor store right down the
street from my house else and I see it every morning. Oh, so,
so that they're not they're not putting the band to.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Effect on the federal level, I know that there are
they're working.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
On classifying it as a controlled substance, which would obviously
change the game and change how it's regulated and the
legality of it. And so you know, given that they're
trying to classify it as a controlled substance, the DEA
is now doing, you know, a more in depth investigation.
So we'll see if there's some movement there. But you know,
we know these things can take some time, so there'll
(05:30):
definitely be no no relief anytime in the near future.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's frightening. Wow, Billy, thank you so much for your
time on San Diego's Morning News.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, thank you so much, guys. Thanks for having me
all right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Billy Gigori is a director of emissions in business Development.
It's San Diego Detox. I have a feeling that's not
the end of this story. Now, Yeah, it's got to
be banned. Yeah, I mean, if you're comparing it to
fensannel and it's on the front counter of its association,
is there a yeah,
Have you heard of kratom yet. Well, it's a supplement
sold next to energy drinks and vape pens at smoke
shops and convenience stores all over San Diego.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It is illegal, it is not FDA approved, and it
contains compounds that act on the same brain receptors as opioidge,
which is raising some red flags. And that's why we're
going to turn to the director of Admissions and Business
Development at San Diego Detox, Billy Gory. Billy, thank you
so much for joining us on San diegos Warning News.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Thank you, thank you so much, No problem, happy to
be here.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Let's do Let's back up a little bit and talk
about creatim. This is the first time I'm hearing of it.
What is it and what do we need to know
when we're going into these gas stations.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
So creatim is disguised as a supplement.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Oftentimes you'll see.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It behind the counter at a gas station or a
convenience store. And what it is is actually it's from
a tree in Southeast Asia, so it's actually a root
and it.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Wasn't actually originally designed for what people are using.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
It for illicit purposes now, But now what we've seen
is it become a substance of abuse.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
What's scary to me about this is the fact that
you can buy it at a gas station, which means
everyone thinks that it's safe.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Exactly exactly, it's sitting right next to a gas station
like you would buy tailanol or you know, any other
type of medication or vitamin for the day.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's disguised in packaging.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
The design is a health and wellness supplement, and so people.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Go in and they buy it not knowing you know,
what it can lead to.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
What is the attractiveness to this? Does it give you
a high?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
So?
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Yeah, it actually, like you mentioned at the beginning of
your spiel, it attaches to the same opiate receptors that
a regular opiate would, so it produces a uphoric effect.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
So a lot of.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Times clients that are in our care struggle with creatim
usually fallone the one or two categories. Typically it's somebody
that's just you know, totally unexpecting. They go in, they
might see it might provide an added energy boost, and
so they take it and it feels good and it
works at first. And in the second category of individuals
or individuals that are in recovery, oftentimes their drug of
(02:21):
choice is something else, So something like alcohol or methanthetamine.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
They may have appeared of sobrieting them.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
They're just looking for an extra boost, and because it's
you know, labeled as something that's you know, harmless in
the supplement, they choose to use it. It produces the
same uphoric effect that they were used to chasing during
their addiction, and then it leads them back into an
addiction spiral.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
We're talking to Billy Georgia at San Diego Detox. Now, Billy,
here's the question. Are some people more susceptible to becoming
addicted to this than others?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
You know, that's something that is still being researched.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
I would definitely say that individuals that have a propensity
for addiction definitely would find themselves in that trap more
than the average person.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Is there any legitimate medical upside to this particular compound,
I mean not.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
That we that we can discover, just because right now
it's not FDA proved, it's not being managed by a physician,
so it's not regulated at all. You know, ten years
ago it was you know, it came in powder form
and individuals had to ingest pretty large quantities to experience
the uphoric effect that we've been talking about now with
(03:34):
seven EH, which is what we see at Santega Detox
more and more, and we actually rarely see the traditional
old kretom.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
It's a more potent extract, so.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
It produces a U fourth effect pretty instantaneously.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Our law enforcement, you know, is the Law Enforcement Committee
worried about this? Are doctors worried about this? Are we
trying to do anything to get it off the shelves?
Speaker 3 (03:58):
So doctors are definitely worried about this. I mean, like
I said, we've seen.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
An increase in individuals that are coming for specifically creative
use at Santego Detox, especially over the last year to
six months. It's something that we're very passionate about, you know,
addressing and figuring out what's the best way to treat it.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Right now, the best way.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
That we've seen and treated is is similar to what
you do with opiates, something like fetanol or heroin. We
use subox and maintenance in a scheduled taper to help
safely and comfortably detox individuals from creatim As far as
law enforcement, I think it's still in the early stages
of that.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
I know here in San Diego.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
There's been two cities that have banned it, the City
of San Diego and the city.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Of Ocean Side.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That happened in twenty sixteen. But the funny thing about
that is is since then there's only been three arrests.
So since twenty sixteen, only three arrests. I live here
in Ocean Side. There's a liquor store right down the
street from my house else and I see it every morning. Oh, so,
so that they're not they're not putting the band to.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Effect on the federal level, I know that there are
they're working.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
On classifying it as a controlled substance, which would obviously
change the game and change how it's regulated and the
legality of it. And so you know, given that they're
trying to classify it as a controlled substance, the DEA
is now doing, you know, a more in depth investigation.
So we'll see if there's some movement there. But you know,
we know these things can take some time, so there'll
(05:30):
definitely be no no relief anytime in the near future.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's frightening. Wow, Billy, thank you so much for your
time on San Diego's Morning News.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Yeah, thank you so much, guys. Thanks for having me
all right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Billy Gigori is a director of emissions in business Development.
It's San Diego Detox. I have a feeling that's not
the end of this story. Now, Yeah, it's got to
be banned. Yeah, I mean, if you're comparing it to
fensannel and it's on the front counter of its association,
is there a yeah,
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