A week ago the DEA announced plans to ban kratom by the end of September in the US, sure you are aware of this already. But if you haven't yet done so, please do sign the petition on https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/please-do-not-make-kratom-schedule-i-substance  and share this link . Today still some 36.000 signs are needed to get an answer from the Whitehouse ! Surely we can make it.



Years ago I was involved with some other kratom activists and we had a similar initiative , see http://keepkratomlegal.org/ . We might have been a bit pessimistic putting that petition up almost 5 yrs ago, but the fear that the DEA would take action was as real as it is today. During the last few years, I often checked the comments posted (reading through a lot of spam as well). I'll share a few below, these peoples' remarks were motivators for us, to keep on doing what we did, supply those in need with a nice quality herb. This herb greatly improved their lives and conditions. The DEA could have learned a bit as well, if they had taken the time to read some of these posts the last few years.

 As a mother of three who struggled with debilitating migraines for more than 10 years finding Kratom was a godsend. I have used Kratom and nothing else to treat them for the last four years with no ill effects. Amber Andrews USA

This plant has been a life saver for me . I take once a day and don't crave more. I have quit all other pain medications that I was taking for chronic back pain. Please don't take away something that works so well without addiction or side effects

 While not an avid user of Kratom, I've watched this plant literally transform the lives of a few people close to me. Some were dependent on opiates to a scary level, some suffered from debilitating anxiety. Making Kratom illegal is unethical.Douglas Kyes Jr. US

 I have struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life and have tried many many medications and now I finally feel stable because of Kratom. It will be devastating to my life if Kratom is made illegal.Ashley Malega US

Naturally the DEA shows us the reports of those who abused the herb, regrettably some folks have used or sold it for the wrong reasons and surely this led to some incidents. Few people realize though that even Chamomile and Mint tea might be even more harmful when abused. But kratom is unknown and unknown things are always more scary for some people, despite the herb being used for thousands of years already.

Given the great number of people benefiting from this perfectly normal and ancient herb, it doesn't seem right to create a law that is designed to avoid the small number of incidents by simply taking the herb away from everyone. If we want to avoid road accidents we don't start with taking away everyone's drivers license either. Nor has the DEA made plans to ban alcohol yet, even though we see a thousandfold more accidents and abuse cases with that substance and yet its available everywhere.

Its hard to imagine that all these people that simply used a herb for their personal condition, herbal practices, farmers , even we, might be seen as serious criminals by the end of this month, simply for using, advising on or supplying a fine herb.

So, we'll continue to hope, pray, wish and protest, and supply of course, for as long as possible. Meanwhile our prayers are going to the DEA as well, for wisdom and common sense mostly and especially to all those that greatly benefit from this herb.