Police in Ohio last week conducted a series of pre-Thanksgiving raids on stores selling kratom , sparking speculation that authorities could be preparing to mount a broader crackdown on a controversial herb that state officials recently said they intend to ban.

But representatives of the Ohio agency that oversaw the sweep recently told HuffPost that it was not a sign of bigger things to come. The operation was instead an isolated move against specific kratom retailers that were breaking state law, they said. They also claimed that other sellers could avoid similar trouble by implementing business practices that would bring them into compliance at least in the agencys eyes.

Kratom is derived from the dried leaves of a Southeast Asian tree in the coffee family. Often sold as a powder that can be packed into pills or capsules or brewed into tea, kratom has gained popularity in recent years, with many vendors marketing it as an herbal supplement. Supporters say kratom can help with opioid withdrawal, chronic pain, anxiety, depression and other conditions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other federal and state agencies have maintained that kratom has no approved medical use. Opponents of kratom have narrowed in on the fact that the plants most prominent active compounds exhibit opioid-like properties, which they say proves it is an addictive and even potentially deadly drug and must be banned .

In October, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy became the latest to join the campaign against kratom when it voted in favor of classifying the botanical as a Schedule I controlled substance , alongside drugs like heroin and synthetic opioids. Although kratom remains legal in Ohio for now, thats not how it seemed last Wednesday, when police showed up at the Life of Kratom store in Worthington.

They had like 10 police officers, the chief of police, it was crazy, owner Jack Smith told HuffPost.