I’m a senior great-grandmother. I’ve been rotated through the medication merry-go-round for several decades which left me sicker( thanks to permanent injuries,and side effects from pharmaceuticals). I was also left medically dependent on prescription narcotics ( which was the lesser of many evils). I stopped all prescription medications on my own, but was left with debilitating seizures that occurred several times a day. My quality of life was non-existent. I could push through my other medical problems, but not that one. Prescriptions had horrific long term side effects, and also diminished my quality of life. I accidentally discovered Kratom. I’ve been on it 10 years, have no physical addiction to it, and get 6 month checkups.  I’m higher functioning than I have ever been. I can care for my great- grands, travel, was the care-giver for my husband who had cancer, etc. I’m a productive member of society again, and a participant in my family. Please fund more research, instead of criminalizing me.