CNN | October 5, 2026 | The Situation Room
Overview
CNN’s The Situation Room brought on Jessica Steinman, LMFT, Chief Clinical Officer at No Matter What Recovery, for a live interview with anchor Pamela Brown about two substances drawing national scrutiny on college campuses. The first was ketamine, which has come under the spotlight through CNN’s coverage of a case at Cornell University. The second was kratom, following the deaths of two University of Mississippi students.
Over the six-minute segment, Steinman explained what each drug does to the body, why mixing them with alcohol or marijuana raises the danger, and what families and universities can do about it.
Watch the Segment
Why Ketamine and Kratom Are So Dangerous
On ketamine, Steinman started with the problem of an unknown supply. “It’s very dangerous to be mixing different substances. First of all, we don’t know what was in the ketamine itself,” she said, adding that street ketamine “can be cut with fentanyl,” which can lead to overdose.
She also explained why ketamine impairment is easy to miss. A person can appear alert while their coordination, speech, and sense of time and touch are badly distorted: “So someone who is high on ketamine is not going to really understand what’s happening around them, but they are going to look conscious and awake.”
Turning to kratom, Steinman described a substance that acts “almost like an opiate,” noting that “it is very highly sedating, more so than ketamine, and it’s going to cause them to nod off.” In large amounts, she warned, it can affect breathing and cause seizures. Mixing it with alcohol or marijuana makes that worse: “And that’s when their breathing will slow down even more, and it can be much more dangerous, especially if someone’s alone.”
Asked about concentrated 7-OH products, she was direct: “They are incredibly addictive.” She explained that the numbness and euphoria they produce become a way to escape difficult feelings, and that stopping abruptly after becoming dependent can bring on seizures. “So it’s very necessary to go to treatment centers like ours or other detoxes.”
Key points from the segment:
- An unknown supply. Ketamine bought on the street may be cut with other substances, including fentanyl.
- Looking awake is not the same as being okay. Someone on ketamine can seem conscious while being seriously impaired.
- Kratom escalates. It acts as a stimulant in small doses, but as people use more of it, the sedating effects take over.
- Quitting abruptly is risky. Stopping kratom or 7-OH products after becoming dependent can bring on seizures.
- Education matters most. With kratom sold at gas stations and stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin widely prescribed, Steinman said “more education about it is really the way to go.”
Context for No Matter What Recovery
Ketamine’s reputation as a club drug is familiar in LGBTQ+ nightlife, where it often shows up alongside other party drugs and their risks. Kratom is newer to the conversation, but it follows a familiar pattern: a product that is sold openly and marketed as harmless, yet acts on the brain much like an opioid.
No Matter What Recovery provides kratom addiction treatment in an LGBTQ+ affirming setting. Because stopping after regular use can bring on withdrawal, many people begin with medical detox before moving into ongoing care.
Jessica Steinman’s appearance on CNN reflects the clinical expertise our team brings to the national conversation around emerging drugs, addiction, and recovery.
Source
Read the full segment transcript on CNN.
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.
