To whom it may concern, Kratom has saved my life, and the lives of many others. It does not have any more potential for abuse than caffeine does. Alcohol and Cigarettes are far worse for your health than this plant ever could be. And yet I don't see you calling for their active components to be scheduled as a schedule 1 drugs. Even though those are in common use too.
Funny how the majority of people here calling for a ban, are "Anonymous" pharmacists.
Lets be real here, the attempts to ban this plant, and schedule it, are not due to the inherent dangers of kratom. No, Its about control! You don't control how its dispensed, even though its in common use now; and so if you can't call the shots over it, you want to criminalize and ban it. Its about Control, and Money! No more, no less. The so called dangers are nothing but a false but convenient excuse. That or you've been listening to unfounded government propaganda, because they don't financially control its distribution either.
This plant material, and its natural innate constituents, have saved the lives of millions of legal consumers. It has saved people from the effects of horrific chronic pain, disabling joint conditions, serious debilitating health conditions, extreme anxiety, and countless other issues that the medical establishment has failed people on. Its allowed them to take back their lives, and reclaim some assemblance of control back over their lives. And allowed them to take back some degree of quality of life. And now, you would try to take that away from them. "That is both despicable, and cruel!"
And that ends in one place for many of these people with no alternatives. 1. You make them criminals, and they have even less quality controls over what they do get. Potentially forcing them to settle for black market products, that could be tainted with anything. Forcing them to risk their health on one hand, or becoming criminals if caught, even felons, for using the one medicinal herb that gives them any relief from their suffering. Or 2. you leave them no choice but to accept their cursed fates, as you've already failed most of them repeatedly; and then no alternative for them but to commit suicide to get away from their suffering.
Oh you'd surely have a health crisis on your hands then. For a short amount of time anyway. Then you'd just have a lot fewer citizens. Because many of them found kratom after seeking anything to ease their suffering, after the medical community already repeatedly failed them!
Like it or not, Kratom is in common use, and even if you try to schedule it, you will ultimately fail to end its use among people you know. All you'll end up doing is driving that use underground. Or turning your neighbors into felons. If they survive your intrusion into their private health matters at all. We've all seen where intrusions into peoples private health matters against there will, ends up. And no good can come of it. They are Adults, and can make their own decisions.
The kratom community can manage its own community just fine. The shops that are put forward as quality sources by the community, test their own products, with certified labs. Not a cheap process, but they do it to protect the community. They give help to others in the community who need guidance, so they are not just guessing what may or may not help them. Something that would be far easier if not for excessive attempts by the federal government to criminalize any mention of dosage, as claiming it can "treat or cure a disease." They aren't claiming any such thing, but they do know what's helped others, and what amounts of kratom powder are generally safe places to start ones kratom journey. And the kratom community takes great care not to hurt anyone, or lead them wrong so that anyone gets hurt unintentionally. Its a community of support and caring, trying to help others who are in the same boat.
The fact that there are some people out there that can become addicted to anything, no matter how innocuous, does not make it that things fault. let alone this harmless herbs fault. And does not make it dangerous, or harmful to anyone but those who would abuse anything legal, to their own detriment. No matter how safe.
Leave the plant alone please. And leave our communities people alone too. They aren't asking for you to ride in on your white horses and save them from their own choices. They have their own, justified reasons for choosing to take advantage of Kratom and its many benefits. And your will does not trump theirs, just because you paid more to go to school. If your not going to try to contribute something of benefit to our community, then leave our community alone please. Let people live their own lives, with the herbs they need to manage their own health. Without harassment if you would please.
If there are individuals who can not handle this herb, that has been proven by science to be no more addictive than a cup of coffee; then feel free to help those individuals who request it. But do not then try and use that as an excuse to then try and take control over the herb that millions upon millions of people are using safely for their own benefit and quality of life every day. Its not only disingenuous and cruel, but dangerous to their ultimate wellbeing. Despite what you may think, western medicine, can't solve all problems, and can't always help these people. Most of the time for them, your attempts at controlling their choices does nothing but harm in their lives. The side effects, and drug interactions alone from the drugs western medicine prescribes, can make many peoples lives a living hell. If they can gain relief from this legal and harm reducing plant, then leave them alone, to gain what relief they can. They have certainly been through enough, in your medical system.
Respectfully but Realistic,
Dan.