Kratom Advocates See Victory; DEA Backtracks on Ban after Overwhelming Public Response

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DEA Backtracks on Kratom Ban

With the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) looking to ban Kratom, a Southeast Asian-native medicinal plant, as a “potentially dangerous and addicting drug”, numerous users and advocates of the said plant have rallied against the imposition.  Many users protesting for the plant, because of its life changing benefits.  Now, the DEA has decided to retract on its plan to categorize Kratom as harmful, after receiving an overwhelming response of contradiction from the public, including more than 50 members of the Congress and the Justice Department.

The federal government, citing various reports of death and poisoning, was aggressive on labeling Kratom as a harmful drug, particularly the Schedule 1 kind. This would put Kratom on the same league as methamphetamine, heroin and even LSD. However, a number of Kratom advocates have spoken against such move calling it an “overkill” and have provided a plethora of recorded cases of benefits to support their claim that Kratom is nothing more than a coffee (being in the same family) and a natural medicine.

Lead by the American Kratom Association (AKA), supporters of the said plant have noted of the benefits they received from using it. As other have claimed, Kratom is a useful anti-opioid medicine. Those who have relegated to drug-use or liquor as a means of overcoming anxiety have testified for Kratom as a healthy alternative and without any ailing effect of other potentially addictive illegal drugs such as cocaine.

Jeremy Haley, who works at Denver Airport as a Security, has shared of his experience of Kratom as a reliever. Haley used to depend on vodka to alleviate his anxiety and continue to work as a normal being. After being arrested for drunk driving, he started to use Kratom as an alternative to booze as his remedy. He claims of Kratom’s ability to make him feel alive, relaxed and calm. Bringing this testimony, he himself, began to sell Kratom on the street before starting his own business of online selling.

However, as the government began its war against the so-called “dangerous drug”, Haley had to speak up and acted his own to defend the product and his business.

On the other hand, Dr. Lawrence Fox, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) researcher, has expressed his support to the DEA on its war against Kratom. With his own fair share of experience on Kratom’s harmful effect, Dr. Fox has spoken about the death of his own son, Alex, who had taken the said substance. He further noted that people have been buying Kratom online without having any idea about its contents. Thus, he is supporting the ban until further tests are conducted to support the claims of its natural benefits as the advocates have noted. ““I don’t want anyone else to die the way Alex did,” said Dr. Fox who claims that he’s not representing the NIH.

For now, the DEA have agreed to delay its planned actions against Kratom. Atleast, until after hearing public comments for six weeks.

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