Hello.  I am a 52 year old male, with Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Systemic Intolerance.   This basically means I live with whole-body pain, and I have zero energy.   Until you know what it's like especially to have Chronic Fatigue (which is vastly different than just being tired, like people think it is), then you can't comprehend what it's like to muster up the energy to even talk. That's how little energy I have, it is that terrible.   Kratom is the ONLY thing that has ever helped me, and I have tried all the meds (they don't work and just give me terrible side-effects).   I only take 1 tsp (3x per day), so a very low amount, but it gives me enough energy to be able to hold onto my job, and have a tiny bit of quality of life back.  Without it, I can assure you I would be on disability (75% of people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can't work).   It gives me about 2 hours of enough energy, that I can do household chores, pay bills, and then it's out of my system. Without Kratom, I can only sit on the couch and watch the world go by, and that is very hard when you're used to being a productive person.   It is terrible when you can't even do the things you used to do, because of your health.   That is why I want to share my story, in hopes that you would try to understand the GOOD it does for people like me.   I am not some type of Junkie, I'm a normal middle-aged guy with crappy health.   Please seek to understand Kratom before you try to ban it.   Because if you ban this product, you are basically taking away the life of people like me.  This isn't a miracle product, but it works enough to help me live.   And you probably don't know what that feels like, but to simply exist is no life at all, and that is what it's like for me.   But with Kratom, I can do things in spurts, with the energy it gives me.

I would be happy to share my story more with you, to help lawmakers understand the GOOD Kratom does.   I am a walking example of how it helps, and I would love to be able to be a part of keeping it in place for people like me - people who NEED this for everyday life, and not just WANT it.   I ask you to please do not ban Kratom.   If nothing else, please at least regulate it so with a Doctors prescription, people like me can continue to live life.   That is all I ask.   Thank you for listening, and again please let me know if I can be of any help whatsoever.

Mark