Outlawing nature in the name of profit...

[slimmouse]

I get tired of slim's misspelled koans. Maybe the controllers don't have the 'right' to tell us what's illegal, but they sure as hell can and do, and accepting reality does not make one an idiot.

Maybe not from your perspective. Unfortunately Norton to me it does.

But hey opinions are like assholes.

We all have one. Im tired of the BS is my problem

[divideandconquer]

Antioxidant value and antiproliferative efficacy of mitragynine and a silane reduced analogue. (Anti-cancer)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25081682

Specifically, breast cancer:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19724995

Link to 24 Kratom studies:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_SMhCuwVcKjM3d0WlhzRU9rcDA

[backtoiam]

Jury nullification

Jury Finds Woman NOT Guilty of “Manufacturing Drugs” Because the Cannabis She Grew Was Medicine

In a state where medical and recreational cannabis is still completely prohibited, a jury found Bridget Kirouac not guilty of cultivating cannabis plants. This heartening example of jury nullification is yet another indication that public opinion is firmly on the side of medical cannabis — and government’s war on drugs is being rejected.

http://www.activistpost.com/2016/09/jur ... icine.html

[divideandconquer]

Here are the Congress Members who have signed on to the letter as of this morning. The 2 offices are getting a LOT of inquiries. WE NEED TO FLOOD IN-BOXES and PHONES every day before Thursday. Info below...

Mark Pocan - D - WI

Matt Salmon - R - AZ

John Conyers - D - MI

Hank Johnson - D - GA

Tim Ryan - R - IL

Jared Polis - D - CO

Adam Smith - D - WA

Dana Rohrabacher - R - CA

Find your Rep here and e-mail them: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Use the number below to call YOUR representative. Tell them you are a responsible adult consumer of Kratom for help with ______ (ailment) and ask that they please contact Congressman Pocan's office to sign-on to the Pocan/Salmon Dear Colleague letter on this issue.

US Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 (choose option 2 for House)

Kratom Users Say Ban Will Lead to More Drug Abuse
September 20, 2016

By Pat Anson, Editor

Kratom is a safe and surprisingly effective treatment for chronic pain and a wide variety of medical conditions, according to a large new survey of kratom consumers. Many say banning the herbal supplement will only lead to more drug abuse and worsen the nation’s opioid epidemic.

The online survey of 6,150 kratom consumers by Pain News Network and the American Kratom Association was conducted after plans were announced by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to classify two chemicals in kratom as a Schedule I controlled substances. Unless the scheduling is postponed, the sale and possession of kratom could become a felony as early as September 30.

The survey findings dispel the myth that kratom is used recreationally like marijuana by people who only want to get “high” or intoxicated. The vast majority say they use the herb in teas and supplements solely to treat their medical conditions.

Asked what was the primary reason they used kratom, over half (51%) said they used the herb as a treatment for chronic pain, followed by anxiety (14%), depression (9%), opioid addiction (9%) and alcoholism (3%). Less than two percent said they used kratom recreationally or out of curiosity.
WHAT IS THE PRIMARY REASON YOU USE KRATOM?

51% PAIN
14% ANXIETY
9% DEPRESSION
9% OPIOID ADDICTION
3% ALCOHOLISM
2% RECREATION
11% OTHER

“The survey tells us exactly what we’ve been trying to tell the DEA, lawmakers and the general public. The average kratom consumer is nothing like we are being portrayed as,” says Susan Ash, founder of the American Kratom Association.

“The average kratom consumer is a man or woman in their 40’s, 50’s or 60’s, who is primarily looking for alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs that either didn’t work for them or had side effects that were unbearable. The survey clearly shows the majority of people are using kratom to manage chronic medical conditions.”

Nine out of ten patients (90%) said kratom was very effective in treating their pain or medical conditions.

Asked if they get high from using kratom, three out of four consumers (75%) said no and 23% said “a little.” Only about 2 percent said they get high from using the herb. Many likened the stimulative effect of kratom to a strong cup of coffee.

"I only take enough kratom to take the edge off. I never get high like I did on pills or marijuana. Just a clearer state of being with some pain relief."

"It's not possible to get high from kratom as that's not what it does. It is in the same family as coffee and acts just like coffee."

"It elevates my mood, gives me energy and helps with the pain."

"I was stable at all times with kratom. Sound minded and alert. In no negative way did it affect my ability to function. If anything, it improved that and my overall happiness in life."
CAN YOU GET "HIGH" FROM KRATOM?

75% NO23% A LITTLE2% YES

While the DEA maintains that kratom poses “an imminent hazard to public safety” and has been linked to several deaths, the vast majority of kratom consumers believe it is safe to use.

Ninety-eight percent said kratom was not a harmful or dangerous substance and 95% said banning the herb will have a harmful effect on society.

Many have strong feelings about what will happen if kratom is made illegal.

"I believe this is incredibly harmful to the thousands of people who have been able to find relief from a huge variety of issues, but especially those treating an opioid addiction. Those people will be forced back to opiates."

"I believe that the ban on kratom will trigger the biggest uptick in opiate-related deaths that we've seen in decades."

"Banning kratom will in no way protect society from an imminent health hazard, but actually push society further into the deadly opiate epidemic that plagues America today."

"It will kill people if they make kratom Illegal."

"We must utilize every tool possible to combat addiction to dangerous drugs, and banning kratom is like cutting off your nose to spite the face: stupid and unproductive."
WILL BANNING KRATOM BE HELPFUL OR HARMFUL TO SOCIETY?

4% HELPFUL95% HARMFUL1% DON'T KNOW

Given a variety of scenarios on what could happen if kratom becomes illegal, two out of three respondents (66%) said kratom consumer would be more likely to become addicted and overdose on other substances.

Over half (52%) predicted that kratom users would be more likely turn to illegal drugs such as heroin and illicit fentanyl.

Half (51%) also said kratom consumers would be more likely to consider suicide.

Asked what they would do personally if kratom is banned, one out of four (27%) said they would seek to buy kratom on the black market – indicating that many are willing to risk being charged with a felony rather than give up kratom. Less than a third (30%) said they would not buy kratom on the black market.

"Making kratom illegal isn't going to stop people from buying and taking kratom."

"People who want kratom bad enough will find it and keep using it."

"I believe kratom consumers are likely to try multiple strategies, but most likely they will go back to whatever they used prior to kratom and there will likely be a black market for illegal consumption because none of these other options can compete with the efficacy of kratom."

"We will all be forced to go back on the very drugs that kratom helped us get off of! It will kill a whole lot of people! It will undoubtedly cause an increase in suicides, overdoses of illegal drugs like heroin and morphine."

"Banning this leaf is equivocal to signing the death certificates of many. You may as well be sticking the needle into many arms."
IF KRATOM BECOMES ILLEGAL, WOULD YOU SEEK TO BUY IT ON THE BLACK MARKET?

27% YES30% NO43% NOT SURE

Susan Ash of the American Kratom Assocation estimates that between 3 and 5 million Americans have tried kratom. And she thinks the DEA’s attempt to ban the herb may have actually led more people to try it.

“Probably a quarter of a million have tried it since they put this notice out,” Ash said.

[divideandconquer]

According to the Boston Tribune the ban has been reversed for now (until January 3, 2018). However, I expect to see an abundance of kratom overdoses over the next year as they gather evidence to prove how dangerous it is. See: The little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition with deadly consequences.

DEA Reverses Ban On Kratom After Overwhelming Feedback From Supporters

With only 9- days until October 1st, 2016, representatives from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) have announced their intentions to temporarily reverse the scheduled ban of kratom.

The DEA had previously announced that the little known drug would be banned as of October 1st, 2016, and would be classified as a Schedule 1 drug – meaning that it has absolutely no medical value and has a high potential for abuse. Additional drugs currently under the Schedule 1 umbrella include, heroin, LSD, marijuana, mescaline, and ecstasy.

According to previous statements made by the DEA, kratom was widely viewed by the DEA, FDA, and CDC as an imminent hazard to public safety. The DEA provided a notice of intent to temporarily ban kratom on August 25th, 2016, giving kratom users and vendors a 1-month notice.

Kratom, scientifically referred to as mitragyna speciose, is derived from a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family and is native to Southeast Asia. The drug is often marketed as an herbal supplement and can be regularly found for purchase in the form of powder or capsule online, at health stores, and smoke shops.

According to kratom users, when taken at low doses, the drug can produce a mild stimulant effect, while when taken at a high dose can produce similar effects as narcotic pain relievers. The drug is regularly utilized by opiate addicts to minimize the effects of heroin or prescription narcotic withdraw symptoms. Many others use kratom as a substitute for prescription anxiety medications or to treat chronic pain.

Upon news of the kratom ban, users and advocates of the drug assembled at the White House to protest the ban and gathered over 134,000 signatures on a We the People petition.

According to DEA spokesperson Marcus Langley, the Drug Enforcement Administration made the decision to temporarily remove the scheduled ban of kratom upon the overwhelming feedback and outrage from those using the herbal drug to treat legitimate medical conditions. Langley told reporters at a press-conference that the DEA has requested the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) thoroughly investigate the drug prior to a decision being reached regarding the drug’s future legality within the United States.

The DEA has announced a January 3rd, 2018, deadline for the FDA to provide the necessary insights into the benefits and risks of kratom use. If the FDA fails to provide conclusive results by the 2018 deadline, the DEA intends to permanently ban the drug and classify it at a Schedule 1 substance.

The reversal of the scheduled kratom ban has many users excited and hopeful for the future of the drug’s mainstream use. Daniel McCarthy, a 54-year old kratom user in Dallas, Texas, told a CBS affiliate reporter, “As someone who attended the White House protest and signed the online petition, it feels amazing to have made a difference for hundreds of thousands of people -being an American is awesome!”

[Burnt Hill]

Wow, that's great news!
Coincidentally I just met someone a couple of days ago who uses it for nerve pain,
and gets better relief than from any pharmaceutical he has ever tried.
I should see him tomorrow, he will be relieved,.
Thanks for keeping us up to date dandc!

[PufPuf93]

I mentioned Salvia divinorum in the magic mushroom thread and having obtained (and "tested") a small amount as a gift over the internet in the late 1990s.

Just checked as to legal status and there is no federal law but Salvia has been banned by 27 states and has various other limitations in most states, all post 2001.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_sta ... ted_States

I had thought Salvia had been made illegal but it is still quite legal in California where I reside.

I am not familiar with Kratom except this thread and several cursory recent internet searches but it seems to me that Kratom has less disorienting effects and more potential positive effects than the Salvia.

[Burnt Hill]

I personally have had absolutely no disorienting or hallucinatory effects from Kratom at all.
I was going to say no euphoric effects either, but I would compare that occassional effect to having a great cup of coffee when you are tolerant and have gone without for say a week or so.

* hmmmm, probably not even that euphoric, I enjoy coffee!

[stickdog99]

Will this stuff become illegal on 9/30?

[backtoiam]

Will this stuff become illegal on 9/30?

I looked for further confirmation on the Boston Tribune article posted above that says the ban has been lifted until 2018 but found none so I am confused on the issue myself.

[Pele'sDaughter]

And store sites I looked at a few days ago still had sales on hold. Since I'd read they weren't going to schedule it, I thought I'd give it a try.

[divideandconquer]

And store sites I looked at a few days ago still had sales on hold. Since I'd read they weren't going to schedule it, I thought I'd give it a try.

Is it possible that even though it's still legal, they could somehow threaten sellers, or create great obstacles to getting the product?

[Iamwhomiam]

What’s in Your Herbal Pills? Firm Promises DNA Testing for Proof

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR SEPT. 28, 2016

NBTY, one of the nation’s largest makers of popular supplements like ginkgo biloba and ginseng, has agreed to conduct advanced genetic testing to help ensure that its herbal products actually contain the ingredients promised on the label.

The agreement, which affects several popular brands including Solgar, Nature’s Bounty and Sundown Naturals, was announced Wednesday by the New York State attorney general’s office. It follows an agency investigation last year that found that four out of five of the products tested from major retailers did not contain any of the herbs promised on their labels. Instead the agency said the bottles often contained pills made of cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases, substances like nuts and soy that could be dangerous to people with food allergies.

The agreement with NBTY is the third such agreement with a supplement maker negotiated by the office of the state attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, and adds pressure on the herbal supplement industry to adopt stricter quality control measures. Last year, two major supplement makers, GNC and Nature’s Way, said that that they would implement strict new quality control procedures like the use of advanced DNA testing to authenticate the plants used in their herbal product lines.

The attorney general’s investigation was prompted by an article in The New York Times in 2013 that raised questions about widespread labeling fraud in the herbal supplement industry. The article referred to research at the University of Guelph in Canada that found that as many as a third of herbal supplements tested did not contain the plants listed on their labels.

NBTY, which is based in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., said on Wednesday it would begin to phase in the use of advanced DNA testing on the ingredients from its suppliers, and will conduct random tests of its products to screen for any allergens. NBTY is one of the dominant companies in the $7 billion herbal supplement industry, although exact market share numbers aren’t available.

NBTY, which is owned by the private equity giant Carlyle Group, does not disclose what portion of its $3 billion in annual revenue comes from herbal products. The company lists more than 22,000 products, including herbal products, vitamins, meal replacements, protein bars and fish oil and other nutrition supplements.

In a statement, NBTY’s general counsel, Stratis Philippis, said its herbal supplements had passed standard industry tests required under federal law, but that it was agreeing to do more advanced DNA testing for the benefit of consumers. The statement said the firm will promote the development of “the most accurate, reliable standards and testing methods for the authenticity of herbal dietary supplements.”

The attorney general’s investigation last year prompted increased scrutiny of the multibillion-dollar herbal supplement industry and led to dozens of class action lawsuits. Consumer advocates said it highlighted the federal government’s lax regulation of herbal supplements. The industry has countered that the DNA testing method is not always reliable because many supplements come from herbal extracts, and that DNA from the plants advertised on their labels would not always be present because DNA is damaged during manufacturing and extraction.

In a written agreement, the attorney general’s office acknowledged that NBTY had provided documentation showing that the company had used traditional chemical testing procedures on its herbal supplements as required by the Food and Drug Administration. But critics have said that the F.D.A.’s regulations and oversight of the industry is too weak. And the attorney general’s office said that in many instances, the traditional tests required by the agency “fail to adequately detect the presence of known organic contaminants, including allergens, or unidentified fillers.”

The attorney general said that the advanced DNA testing procedure NBTY had agreed to implement — known as DNA bar coding, which identifies plants and other organisms by their genetic fingerprints — was a more powerful method for detecting potential contaminants in the herbal supply chain.

Mr. Schneiderman said that the agreement and wider use of DNA testing in the herbal industry would provide consumers assurances that when they buy an herbal supplement, “the plant on the label is the plant in the bottle.”

“Consumers can only have that confidence if the companies that sell herbal supplements employ the best and most reliable testing measures for combating fraud and ruling out dangerous allergens,” he added. “I am pleased that NBTY has joined GNC and Nature’s Way and agreed to increase transparency, improve quality control, and do more to protect consumers, and I urge the rest of the herbal supplements industry to do the same.”

In recent years, herbal supplements have been increasingly scrutinized. A recent study by the New York Botanical Garden and research by at least two independent teams of scientists found that many popular herbal products contained cheap fillers like powdered rice and weeds, or evidence of soybeans, tree nuts and other potential allergens not listed on the labels. Experts say there are many stops along the herbal supply chain where ingredients can be substituted or tampered with, particularly for products coming from overseas.

Last year, Mr. Schneiderman’s office announced that it had tested dozens of herbal supplements sold at Walmart, Target, Walgreens and GNC locations across New York State.

NBTY, which manufactured herbal supplements for Walmart and Walgreens, had been using traditional chemical analyses and quality control measures on its products. But Mr. Schneiderman said it wasn’t enough.

As part of its agreement with the attorney general, the company said it would phase in the use of DNA bar coding on its herbal ingredients within the next 24 months. The company said it would also begin randomly testing the supplements for allergens like milk, wheat and peanuts, and that it would partner with Cornell University and other scientific institutions.

The company said that it considered DNA bar coding “an emerging science” but that it would promote its development and implementation “as an additional technology to benefit consumers.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/well/eat/nbty-promises-genetic-testing-of-its-herbal-supplements.html?_r=0

[Pele'sDaughter]

Okay, articles showing up again saying the DEA has backed down from the decision to reschedule kratom.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/transpl ... /335221113

LEWISVILLE, TEXAS - When Jordan Dodson got the news Wednesday, she cried tears of joy.

"I am still elated," she said.

She's elated at a sudden decision by the Drug Enforcement Agency. A little over a month ago, the DEA announced its plan to outlaw Kratom, an herbal supplement. But Wednesday, the agency reversed course.

There had been an outcry from veterans who use it for PTSD, and from many others who use it to treat pain. The herb will remain legal while the agency considers public comment.

"It's given back quality of life for me. For sure," Dodson said.

Dodson, 27, started using the herb two years ago. She's a three-time transplant recipient who has suffered from chronic back pain, depression and anxiety.

She says Kratom helps with all those symptoms, and that it hasn't had any adverse side effects. She has disclosed her use to her doctor and closely monitors her health through blood tests.

"I used to be on so many medications, it was hard to keep up with," Dodson said. "Those medications are just so hard on your whole body."

Dodson orders Kratom from a vendor online, and she drinks it as an herbal tea.

"It does not taste good,” she said. “It is so bitter!"

But she said she starts to feel positive effects within an hour, easing her pain and anxiety. She's a student in Corinth, where she's studying network security.

While it's legal for now, it's no secret that some use Kratom recreationally. The drug is said to have similar effects to opioids, with minimal risk of addiction. It's often sold at head shops.

In Lewisville, The Zebra's Head House of Glass stopped stocking Kratom anticipating the DEA ban, but now that will change.

"We're going to have it back on our shelves tomorrow," said employee Aaron Poret.

Poret said they get calls daily from people asking about the herb.

"Most people are for pain relief," he said.

The DEA will now take public comments until December, and Dodson says she and many others will make clear what Kratom has meant for them.

"We got this. We still have a long fight, but we got this, I feel like," she said.

[liminalOyster]

CBD hemp oil named a Schedule I drug by DEA

DENVER -- A cannabidiol hemp oil used by some families of children with seizures has been officially named a Schedule I drug by the DEA.

"Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," the DEA says on its website.

That puts the oil in the same category as heroin, LSD, ecstasy, meth, peyote and marijuana.

The DEA published the details about the change in the Federal Register.

It applies to any "extract containing one or more cannabinoids that has been derived from any plant of the genus Cannabis," the Federal Register posting said.

The change explains that the DEA is creating a new Administrative Controlled Substances Code Number for what it calls "Marihuana [sic] Extract."

During the comment period for the new rule, one person asked for clarification of whether the new drug code would be applicable to cannabidiol (CBD).

The DEA responded to say any cannabis plant extract that contains CBD and no other cannabinoids will still fall within the new drug code.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/lo ... rug-by-dea