CBS Los Angeles | October 8, 2026 | Live Interview
Overview
Recent sexual assault cases on college campuses have raised new concerns about two drugs in particular: ketamine and kratom. CBS Los Angeles brought on Jessica Steinman, LMFT, Chief Clinical Officer at No Matter What Recovery, for a live morning interview about how dangerous these drugs are and what students and parents need to know.
The interview came just days after Steinman discussed the same two substances on CNN’s The Situation Room, as concern about their use on campus continues to grow.
What Students and Parents Need to Know
Steinman explained that ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used in medical procedures, but as a party drug it leaves people disconnected from their surroundings. They may not understand where they are, what time it is, or who they are with, and they can struggle to walk and talk.
What makes it different from older drugs like GHB or Rohypnol, she said, is how it looks from the outside. “The scariest piece of ketamine is that people are still awake.” Someone on ketamine can appear conscious and even engaged, which is why she warned, “So that can confuse people for consent when really it is not.”
On kratom, Steinman noted that it is sold in gas stations and health stores as an herbal product, often marketed as an energy booster or as something soothing and calming. The problem, she explained, is that “in high doses or abused, it acts like an opiate,” affecting the brain’s opioid receptors, causing heavy sedation and slowing breathing.
Her advice for college students was practical:
- Know what it is and where it came from. If there is any question about what is in a substance, including whether it could be cut with something as lethal as fentanyl, don’t take it.
- Never use alone. If something goes wrong physically, someone needs to be there to help.
- Easy access fuels misuse. With kratom available at gas stations and some medications easy to get prescribed, people are more likely to use them in excess.
Speaking as a clinician, Steinman added that the trend is showing up in treatment: “We’re seeing a lot of people who are addicted to kratom and to ketamine. It’s been a huge uptick.”
Context for No Matter What Recovery
Ketamine and kratom are often treated as lower-risk choices, one because it is a “party drug” people see as recreational and the other because it is sold openly as a natural product. Both carry serious risks, from impaired judgment and awareness to dependence and dangerous sedation, and both are part of a broader pattern our team sees with party drugs and their effects, especially in LGBTQ+ nightlife.
No Matter What Recovery treats addiction to both in an LGBTQ+ affirming setting, including dedicated kratom addiction treatment for people whose use has moved past their control.
Jessica Steinman’s appearance on CBS Los Angeles reflects the clinical expertise our team brings to the conversation around emerging drugs, addiction, and recovery here in Southern California.
Source
Watch the full interview on CBS Los Angeles.
If you or someone you love is struggling with ketamine, kratom, or other substances, the team at No Matter What Recovery is here to help. Contact us to speak with our admissions team, or visit our locations in Los Angeles and Chicago to start the conversation.
