For a while there, it looked as though Ryan Edwards’ life was headed in the right direction.
But now, the troubled Teen Mom star is back in the court system, facing mandatory drug tests and the risk of losing custody of his children.
Over the weekend, Ryan’s ex-wife, Mackenzie Standifer, was granted emergency temporary custody of the couple’s two children. And now Ryan must undergo a very specific type of testing.
As longtime Teen Mom fans know, Edwards has long struggled with opioid addiction.
And according to court documents obtained by The Ashley’s Reality Roundup, the judge in Ryan’s case has now ordered him to have his fingernails clipped for purposes of kratom testing.
Kratom is an herbal supplement that’s legal in many parts of the US — but not in Tennessee, where Ryan lives.
Typically sold as a pill or powder, kratom is not classified as an opioid, but it binds to the opioid receptors in the brain and body, creating an effect similar to drugs like heroin and fentanyl.
For obvious reasons, it would have the potential to be very dangerous for someone like Ryan, who has a long history of opioid dependence.
Mackenzie reportedly informed the court that she has reason to believe Ryan might be using kratom.
This led the judge to order that Ryan’s nails be clipped at a testing facility “for the longest scientifically supported lookback period.”
So if Mackenzie’s suspicions are accurate, and Ryan has used kratom at all in recent weeks, the test will likely determine that.
As it is, his life has become quite complicated, and he’s likely to be spending a lot of time in court in the months ahead.
Currently, Edwards is only permitted supervised visits with his two kids by Mackenzie.
Meanwhile, Ryan and Amanda Conner are getting divorced after just nine months of marriage. The divorce follows Amanda’s DUI arrest, which seems to have taken place after Ryan called 911 on her.
Conner has since accused Edwards of abuse.
All of this comes on the heels of a period in which Ryan had gotten sober and appeared to have gotten his life in order following several years of chaos.
Even Edwards’ first baby mama, Maci Bookout, was singing his praises amid what appeared to be a miraculous comeback.
Here’s hoping Ryan will soon be able to get back on the right path.
