A friend of the family died a couple weeks ago of Kratom overdose. That was the last thing he was using. I am currently stationed in Arkansas. where it is illegal. But not Missouri . I went through oxy withdrawls cold turkey and think about the border counties between AR and MO. About getting a law passed to make it illegal to sell the crap. Or how do I do it on the national level? Even in this fucked up admin. I think dems and reps could come together on this. To quit selling gas station drugs. I want to call it Ryan’s law in his memory. That way we can turn something bad into good.
That is the job of your legislature, you would need to contact them. One way that might make them listen would be to gather signatures and to present a petition to your lawmakers. The lower down on the totem pole you go, the easier it will be to make change. If you go to your city council meeting, you could try to get them banned in your city, and that might snowball into something bigger. That’s the idea at least, in all likelihood it would not be that simple. The “grey” market exists because of the legal ambiguity and lack of enforcement behind banning these substances. Furthermore, after prohibition and now the disastrous war on drugs, banning substances isn’t a very popular position in many areas. Harm reduction initiatives and increased funding for education might be both more effective, and more popular. This all depends on where you live and your local politics.
Sorry for the loss of your friend, that really sucks.
Dont you worry about what people will turn to when thats gone? Is it better for them to turn to something like heroin or oxy if they cant get kratom?
People dont just “not do drugs” when their concerned socio-economic superiors ostensibly like yourseld legislate them into criminality for their drug use.
Why not focus on what actually drives drug use like economic dispair and precarious housing and such. Make it sunnier so people can voluntarily take off their parkas. Why do you feel entitled to decide what people can or cant put into their bodies at the threat of the sword of Law?
Its so very easy to take things away, that doesnt change anything but it makes us all less free and life less colorful
I think one of the issues there is Kratom is not really seen as a drug the same way others would be seen. A good first step would be forcing it to go through at least the same amount of warnings and labelling as tobacco companies.
How do people not see anything they introduce to their body for its nervous system effects as not being drugs tho, fr.
I just dont buy that. Like is it how people dont see alcohol or tabacco as drugs?
It doesnt help that the US treats alcohol and tobacco in many ways as these seperate things from drugs!
Like how they have a bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms (weird hodgepodge but okey-doke) and a seperate drug enforcement body. The alcohol and tobacco should be folded under dea
good marketing. people getting paid to specifically set these expectations
I’m sorry for your loss.
I think what would be helpful to do is to outline your goals because I am seeing a few different ones in there. Once that’s established, you could look at the best path.
You mention that it’s not illegal federally. US federal laws about illegal drugs come from their inclusion on the controlled substances list. It’s not on this list. But that doesn’t mean it’s legal to sell at gas stations.
It is currently illegal to sell Kratom as a drug product (i.e. prescription or over the counter product) on the federal level because it is not a registered drug with the FDA. It is also currently illegal to sell it as a dietary supplement or food additive.
So it’s already illegal. But it still happens all the time, right? Is the goal more enforcement then?
Eta: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11457
Either Congress or the DEA Administrator can place a substance in a CSA schedule, move a substance to a different schedule, or remove a substance from the schedules. Congress can take those scheduling actions by enacting legislation. DEA, for its part, may make permanent scheduling decisions through a formal rulemaking process. The agency can also temporarily place substances in Schedule I on an emergency basis when “necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety.”
It looks like the process to temporarily place it on schedule 1 on an emergency basis is underway.
This article also explains what Congress will need to do to make it permanent.
Unless you have a few billion to spend on campaign donations, don’t bother. You will not get anything out of Republicans. As long as someone made money off the death, it was and will be considered a cost of doing business.
Unless you have money the Republicans want you dead. You are nothing but a liability on their balance sheets.
