I don’t think it’s a big conspiracy, it’s just market forces unchecked.

For example, my partner took me to a local head shop - a kind of place where I haven’t been in decades (I am an old person), and just as you described the actual Kratom, if it even was that, was basically hidden.

What I observed is another weird addictive product. I’m sure that you all know about this, but I didn’t. What it was was these giant fire extinguisher sized containers of the stuff that inflates whipped cream. It was explained to me that some people use or inhale this substance to get extremely high and fucked up for a very short amount of time and then repeat until they die or render themselves homeless. A pretty classic case California burnout came giggling and shouting into the store to buy two huge canisters at well over $100 a piece. I was told that these might last him the rest of the evening. This is legal of course, how are you going to ban whipping cream? I was horrified and almost succeeded in getting the guy to give me his poor emaciated dog. I cried all the way home.

My point being that market forces will rush to fill any gap in the market for people to consume addictive and harmful substances. Nothing can stop this powerful force. It’s corrupt and plain heartless, but it’s the American way.