Reader: If Kratom Is Made Illegal, I Will Be Forced to Live in Pain

What some consider an alternative to opioids, others — namely, the Food and Drug Administration — consider a dangerous drug. After the FDA issued a health warning against kratom, lawmakers responded by signing a letter championed by Representative Jared Polis asking the federal department to reconsider its decision. In response to the numerous stories we've published about kratom (more below), readers generally agree that it's a safe alternative to opioids. Says Billy:

Kratom IS as safe as coffee! It is the only safe and natural alternative to opiates and opioids! The only reason the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning against kratom is because their pockets are lined with money from big pharma! Do not be fooled ?? Thank you, Jared Polis.

   Argues Bryce:

I'm glad people are standing up for kratom. That plant helped me turn my life around. I was messed up for a long time until I tried kratom. It's the only thing that's ever helped me stay away from drugs. My family doesn't hate being around me anymore. I'm back in college, and I don't feel like a drain on society. I'm terrified that they'll ban kratom. I finally find something that's worked for me. Why is the government trying to ban it? Alcohol and tobacco kill so many people in the U.S. every year.

Says an anonymous reader:

I am a highly successful business woman who uses kratom for pain rather than opioids. I am well known in my line of work and well respected but I don’t tell anyone about my kratom use. It’s sad that people are okay if I say I’m on highly addictive pain medication prescribed by my doctor but using something much safer like kratom scares the hell out of people and I could potentially be looked down upon because of ignorance. If kratom is banned I’ll have to go back on prescription medication, which causes all sorts of side effects. Please keep writing and educating about the positive uses of kratom.

Explains Barbara:

If kratom is made illegal, I will be forced to retire and live the rest of my life in extreme pain. The world needs to stand up to Big Pharma and the government on this issue, telling them that we are no longer willing to watch friends and family members become addicted to Big Pharma’s “substance of choice,” opioids. Vicodin gave me approximately 20 min of absolute relief from the pain of my severe spinal degeneration. By comparison, one daily dose of kratom provides 12 HOURS of pain relief, and there are no signs of addiction at all!

Notes Mi:

We should legalize all drugs. The health awareness, social acceptance, security of distribution, and savings from prosecution, and income from taxes far outweigh the effects of pushing users out of society, leading them to crime and burdening our criminal justice and penal systems. The only people in jail should be people who have committed crimes against another person, and in some measures crimes against property.

Keep reading for more stories about kratom.

Jared Polis Asks FDA to Lift Public-Health Warning on Kratom

Inside the War on Kratom in Denver and Beyond

If Kratom Sales Are Banned, Advocate Says, Users May Go Back to Heroin

Denver Bans Controversial Herbal Drug Kratom for Human Consumption

Reader: Big Pharma Would Lose Billions If People Knew the Truth About Kratom