Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

Rush Amendment: Winning the War on Kratom

January 19, 2018 By John Reed Leave a Comment

The Dr. Benjamin Rush Amendment

On August 31, 2017 the Drug Enforcement Agency unleashed a senseless war on mitragyna speciosa, citing it as being dangerous and having no medicinal benefit. The Dr. Benjamin Rush Amendment could be a powerful tool for ensuring this never happens. The Rush Amendment promises each of us, as citizens, the freedom to not only treat ourselves holistically, but also the ability to choose better and more affordable health care. Even if you do not support kratom, this amendment stands to benefit every American when it comes to medicine and health care.

The History

Mitragyna speciosa is a tropical evergreen tree native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia. It is part of the rubiaceae family; which is a family of flowering tropical plants, trees and shrubs. Coffee is produced from this rubiaceae species of plants. For countless decades the leaves have been harvested for holistic health treatment and as a natural form of energy by the natives. The locals have used it the same way most Americans consume coffee or caffeine drinks, and have thus learned to implement what is found abundantly in their surroundings, just as nature intended for it to happen. In the past few years the number of Americans adding mitragyna speciosa, also known as kratom, into their home arsenal for its many pain relieving, anxiolytic and healing properties has greatly increased. This undoubtedly has spawned concern amongst those in charge.

The Problem

Kratom, mitragyna speciosa, has numerous health benefits and countless people have opted for a more holistic approach over the current pharmaceutical monopoly. The issue; however, is that the DEA and FDA have banned together to wage an unnecessary war upon kratom and its advocates, claiming for safety and health purposes that it should be banned. Advocates unknowingly have a weapon at their fingertips, one that could end this war. It is named the Dr. Benjamin Rush Amendment, named after the well-respected doctor and writer who penned it.1 This amendment states that Americans have the right to treat themselves with natural herbs and any/all other means necessary without any involvement from the government, as long as it does no harm to others. This is the key to ending this outrage. If this amendment was enacted in each state, the fact is, advocates could rest easy knowing they have some control over their lives after all and the war would end.

The Solution

“The Constitution of this Republic should make special provision for medical freedom. To restrict the art of healing to one class will constitute the Bastille of medical science. All such laws are un-American and despotic…Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship to restrict the art of healing to one class of Men and deny equal privileges to others; the Constitution of the Republic should make a Special privilege for medical freedoms as well as religious freedom.”2 “The People and any lawful inhabitant, resident, or sojourner of the state of (Your state) shall have freedom of choice and practice of any health or medical care modalities as they deem in their own personal best interest and judgment.”2

A strong message delivered by Dr. Benjamin Rush, a well-respected physician and medical professor and creator of the Rush Amendment. Dr. Rush also acted as an early surgeon general to all Continental armies. As a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Rush represented the State of Pennsylvania and authored several important books, often scripting them from the floor of Congress.3 Dr. Rush was a revolutionary and a patriot. He had a true vision of freedom. He knew that if the ability to treat one’s self holistically was hindered, then the health of the nation would fail. Unfortunately, that is where advocates of kratom are finding themselves today, up against the wall with little assistance from the government that was sworn to protect them. A few key points to the amendment:

Freedom of choice in health care/medical practice
Restatement of the 10^th amendment
It is about our natural rights as a citizen
Freedom to treat illnesses by any means, as long as it hurts no one
Freedom for physicians to treat patients holistically and naturally
The ability to procure medications without a prescription from a physician
Freedom from government mandates
Improved health care affordability

Get Involved

Americans are now plagued with expensive, cut-rate health care. The kicker is we are railroaded into purchasing this and are unable to do much about it until now. As a citizen, it is our right and patriotic duty to reach out by phone, email, or even a hand-written letter to your state Congressman asking for them to support and enact the Rush Amendment in your state. These plants offer health benefits unlike what man has created in laboratories, and unless each of us act that is threatened.

To help get the Rush Amendment passed, it is imperative that we each contact our state representatives for Congress. To make things easier I have included the names, addresses, and phone numbers for each state representative according to their respective district. Call or write them and ask for them to push the Rush Amendment through. It just might make the difference needed.

If you are unable to change the world, then begin by changing the world around you!!

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

(202) 224-3121

Alabama

1^st District Bradley Byrne (202) 225-4931

2^nd District Martha Roby (202) 225-2901

3^rd District Mike Rogers (202) 225-3261

4^th District Robert Aderholdt (202) 225-4876

5^th District Mo Brooks (202) 225-4801

6^th District Gary Palmer (202) 225-4921

7^th District Terri A. Sewell (202) 225- 2665

Alaska

At Large Don Young (202) 225-5765

Arizona

1^st Tom O’Halleran (202) 225-3361

2^nd Martha McSally (202) 225-2542

3^rd Raul Grijalva (202) 225-2435

4^th Paul A. Gosar (202) 225-2315

5^th Andy Biggs (202) 225-2635

6^th David Schweikert (202) 225-2190

7^th Ruben Gallego (202) 225-4065

8^th Trent Franks (Vacant) (202) 225-4576

9^th Krysten Sinema (202) 225-9888

Arkansas

1^st Rick Crawford (202) 225-4076

2^nd French Hill (202) 225-2506

3^rd Steve Womack (202) 225-4301

4^th Bruce Westerman (202) 225-3772

California

1^st Doug LaMalfa (202) 225-3076

2^nd Jared Huffman (202) 225-5161

3^rd John Garamendi (202) 225-1880

4^th Tom McClintock (202) 225-2511

5^th Mike Thompson (202) 225-3311

6^th Doris O. Matsui (202) 225-7163

7^th Ami Bera (202) 225-5716

8^th Paul Cook (202) 225-5861

9^th Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947

10^th Jeff Denham (202) 225-4540

11^th Mark DeSaulnier (202) 225-2095

12^th Nancy Pelosi (202) 225-4965

13^th Barbara Lee (202) 225-2661

14^th Jackie Speier (202) 225-3531

15thEric Swalwell (202) 225- 5065

16^th Jim Costa (202)225-3341

17^th Ro Khanna (202) 225-2631

18^th Anna G. Eshoo (202) 225-8104

19^th Zoe Lofgren (202) 225-3072

20^th Jimmy Panetta (202) 225-2861

21^st David Valadao (202) 225-4695

22^nd Devin Nunes (202) 225-2523

23^rd Kevin McCarthy (202) 225-2915

24^th Salud Carbajal (202) 225- 3601

25^th Steve Knight (202) 225-1956

26^th Julia Brownley (202) 225-5811

27^th Judy Chu (202) 225-5464

28^th Adam Schiff (202) 225-4176

29^th Tony Cardenas (202) 225-6131

30^th Brad Sherman (202) 225-5911

31^st Pete Aguilar (202) 225-3201

32^nd Grace Napolitano (202) 225-5256

33^rd Ted Lieu (202) 225-3976

34^th Jimmy Gomez 9202) 225-6235

35^th Norma Torres (202) 225-6161

36^th Raul Ruiz (202) 225-5330

37^th Karen Bass (202) 225-7084

38^th Linda Sanchez (202) 225-6676

39^th Ed Royce (202) 225-4111

40^th Lucille Roybal-Allard (202) 225-1776

41^st Mark Takano (202) 225-2305

42^nd Ken Calvert (202) 225-1986

43^rd Maxine Winters (202) 225-2201

44^th Nanette Barragan (202) 225-8220

45^th Mimi Walters (202) 225-5611

46^th Luis J. Correa (202) 225-2965

47^th Alan Lowenthal (202) 225-7924

48^th Dana Rohrabacher (202) 225-2415

49^th Darrell Issa (202) 225-3906

50^th Duncan D. Hunter (202) 225-5672

51^st Juan Vargas (202) 225- 8045

52^nd Scott Peters (202) 225-0508

53^rd Susan Davis (202) 225-2040

Colorado

1^st Diana DeGette (202) 225-4431

2^nd Jared Polis (202) 225-4761

3^rd Scott Tipton (202) 225-4761

4^th Ken Buck (202) 225- 4676

5^th Doug Lamborn (202) 225-4422

6^th Mike Coffman (202) 225- 7882

7^th Ed Perlmutter (202) 225-2645

Connecticut

1^st John B. Larson (202) 225-2265

2^nd Joe Courtney (202) 225-2076

3^rd Rosa DeLauro (202) 225- 3661

4^th Jim Himes (202) 225-5541

5^th Elizabeth Esty (202) 225- 4476

Delaware

At Large Lisa Blunt-Rochester (202) 225-4165

District of Columbia

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (202) 225-8050

Florida

1^st Matt Gaetz (202) 225-4136

2^nd Neal Dunn (202) 225-5235

3^rd Ted Yoho (202) 225- 5744

4^th John Rutherford (202) 225-2501

5^th Al Lawson (202) 225- 0123

6^th Ron DeSantis (202) 225-2706

7^thStephanie Murphey (202) 225-4035

8^th Bill Posey (202) 225- 3671

9^th Darren Soto (202) 225-9889

10^th Val Demings (202) 225-2176

11^th Daniel Webster (202) 225-1002

12^th Gus M. Bilirakis (202) 225-5755

13^th Charlie Crist (202) 225-5961

14^th Kathy Castor (202) 225-3376

15^th Dennis Ross (202) 225- 1252

16^th Vern Buchanan (202) 225-5015

17^th Tom Rooney (202) 225-5792

18^th Brian Mast (202) 225-3026

19^th Francis Rooney (202) 225-2536

20^th Alcee L. Hastings (202) 225-1313

21^st Lois Frankel (202) 225-9890

22^nd Ted Deutch (202) 225-3001

23^rd Debbie Wasserman Schultz (202) 225-7931

24^th Frederica Wilson (202) 225-4506

25^th Mario Diaz- Balart (202) 225-4211

26^th Carlos Curbelo (202) 225-2778

27^th Ilbeana Ros-Lehtinen (202) 225-3931

Georgia

1^st Buddy Carter (202) 225-5831

2^nd Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (202) 225-3631

3^rd A. Drew Ferguson (202) 225-5901

4^th Henry C. “Hank” Jr. Johnson (202) 225-1605

5^th John Lewis (202) 225-3801

6^th Karen C. Handel (202) 225-4501

7^th Robert Woodall (202) 225-4272

8^th Austin Scott (2)2) 225-6531

9^th Goug Collins (202) 225-9893

10^th Jody Hice (202) 225-4101

11^th Barry Loudermilk (202) 225-2931

12^th Allen Rick (202) 225-2823

13^th David Scott (202) 225-2939

14^th Tom Graves (202) 225-5211

Guam

Delegate Madeleine Bordallo (202) 225-1188

Hawaii

1^st Colleen Hanabusa (202) 225-2726

2^nd Tulsi Gabbard (202) 225-4906

Idaho

1^st Raul R. Labrador (202) 225-6611

2^nd Mike Simpsom (202) 225-5531

Illinois

1^st Bobby Rush (202) 225-4372

2^nd Robin Kelly (202) 225-0773

3^rd Daniel Lipinkski (202) 225-5701

4^th Luis Gutierrez (202) 225-8203

5^th Mike Quigley (202)225-4061

6^th Peter Roskam (202) 225-4561

7^th Danny K. Davis (202) 225-5006

8^th Raja Krishnamoorthi (202) 225-3711

9^th Jan Schakowsky (202) 225-2111

10^th Bradley Schneider (202) 225-4835

11^th Bill Foster (202) 225-3515

12^th Mike Bost (202) 225-5661

13^th Rodney Davis (202) 225-2371

14^th Randy Hultgren (202) 225-2976

15^th John Shimkus (202) 225-5271

16^th Adam Kinzinger (202) 225-3635

17^th Cherri Bustos (202) 225-5905

18^th Darin LaHood (202) 225-6201

Indiana

1^st Peter Visclosky (202) 225-2461

2^nd Jackie Walorski (202) 225-3915

3^rd Jim Banks (202) 225-4436

4^th Todd Rockita (202) 225-5037

5^th Susan W. Brooks (202) 225-2276

6^th Luke Messer (202) 225-3021

7^th Andre Carson (202) 225-4011

8^th Larry Bucshon (202) 225-4636

9^th Trey Hollingsworth (202) 225-5315

Iowa

1^st Rod Blum (202) 225-2911

2^nd David Loebsack (202) 225-6576

3^rd David Young (202) 225-5476

4^th Steve King (202) 225-4426

Kansas

1^st Roger Marshall (202) 225-2715

2^nd Lynn Jenkins (202) 225-6601

3^rd Kevin Yoder (202) 225-2865

4^th Ron Estes (202) 225-6216

Kentucky

1^st James Comer (202) 225-3115

2^nd S. Brett Guthrie (202) 225-3501

3^rd John A. Yarmuth (202) 225-5401

4^th Thomas Massie (202) 225-3465

5^th Harold Rogers (202) 225-4601

6^th Andy Barr (202) 225-4706

Louisiana

1^st Steve Scalise (202) 225-3015

2^nd Cedric Richmond (202) 225-6636

3^rd Clay Higgins (202) 225-2031

4^th Mike Johnson (202) 225-2777

5^th Ralph Abraham (202) 225-8490

6^th Garrett graves (2020 225-3901

Maine

1^st Chellie Pingree (202) 225-6116

2^nd Bruce Poliquin (202) 225-6306

Maryland

1^st Andy Harris (202) 225-5311

2^nd C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (202) 225-3061

3^rd John P. Sarbanes (202) 225-4016

4^th Anthony Brown (202) 225-8699

5^th Steny H. Hoyer (202) 225-4131

6^th John Delaney (202) 225-2721`

7^th Elijah Cummings (202) 225-4741

8^th Jamie Raskin (202) 225-5341

Massachusetts

1^st Richard E. Neal (202) 225-5601

2^nd James McGovern (202) 225-6101

3^rd Niki Tsongas (202) 225-3411

4^th Jospeh P. Kennedy III (2020 225-5931

5^th Katherine Clark (202) 225-2836

6^th Seth Moulton (202) 225-8020

7^th Michael E. Capuano (2020 225-5111

8^th Stephen P. Lynch (202) 225-8273

9^th William Keating (202) 225-3111

Michigan

1^st Jack Bergman (202) 225-4735

2^nd Bill Huizenga (202) 225-4401

3^rd Justin Amash (202) 225-3831

4^th John Moolenaar (202) 225-3561

5^th Daniel Kildee (202) 225-3611

6^th Fred Upton (202) 225-3761

7^th Tim Walberg (202) 225-6276

8^th Mike Bishop (2020 225-4872

9^th Sander Levin (202) 225-4961

10^th Paul Mitchell (202) 225-2106

11^th Dave Trott (202) 225-8171

12^th Debbie Dingell (202) 225-4071

13^th John Conyers (202) 225-5126

14^th Brenda Lawrence (202) 225-5802

Minnesota

1^st Timothy J. Walz (202) 225-2472

2^nd Jason Lewis (202) 225-2271

3^rd Erik Paulsen (202) 225-2871

4^th Betty McCollum (2020 225-6631

5^th Keith Ellison (202) 225-4755

6^th Tom Emmer (202) 225-2331

7^th Collin C. Peterson (202) 225-2165

8^th Rick Nolan (202) 225-6211

Mississippi

1^st Trent Kelly (202) 225-4306

2^nd Bennie G. Thompson (202) 225-5876

3^RD Gregg Harper (202) 225-5031

4^th Steven Palazzo (202) 225-5772

Missouri

1^st William “Lacy” Clay Jr. (202) 225-2406

2^nd Ann Wagner (202) 225-1621

3^rd Blaine Luetkemeyer (202) 225-2956

4^th Vicky Hartzler (202) 225-2876

5^th Emanuel Cleaver (202) 225-4535

6^th Sam Graves (202) 225-7041

7^th Billy Long (202) 225-6536

8^th Jason Smith (202) 225-4404

Montana

At Large Greg Gianforte (202) 225-3211

Nebraska

1^st Jeff Fortenberry (202) 225-4806

2^nd Don Bacon (202) 225-4155

3^rd Adrian Smith (202) 225-6435

Nevada

1^st Dina Titus (202) 225-5965

2^nd Mark Amodel (202) 225-6155

3^rd Jacky Rosy (202) 225-3252

4^th Ruben J. Kihuen (202) 225-9894

New Hampshire

1^st Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456

2^nd Ann Kuster (202) 225-5206

New Jersey

1^st Donald Nacrosee (202) 225-6501

2^nd Frank LoBiondo (202) 225-6572

3^rd Tom MacArthur (202) 225-4765

4^th Chris Smith (202-225-3765

5^th Josh Gottheimer (202) 225-4465

6^th Frank Pallone Jr. (202) 225-4671

7^th Leonard Lance (202) 225-5361

8^th Albio Sires (202) 225-7919

9^th Bill Pascrell Jr. (202) 225-5751

10^th Donald Payne Jr. (2020 225-3436

11^th Rodney Frelinghuysen (202) 225-5034

12^th Bonnie Watson Coleman (202) 225-5801

New Mexico

1^st Michelle Lujan Grisham (202) 225-6316

2^nd Steve Pearce (202) 225-2365

3^rd Ben R. Lujan (202) 225-6190

New York

1^st Lee Zeldin (202) 225-3826

2^nd Pete King (202) 225-7896

3^rd Thomas Suozzi (202) 225-3335

4^th Kathleen Rice (202) 225-5516

5^th Gregory W. Meeks (202) 225-3461

6^th Grace Meng (202) 225-2601

7^th Nydia M. Velazquez (202) 225-2361

8^th Hakeem Jeffries (202) 225-5936

9^th Yvette D. Clark (202) 225-6231

10^th Jarrod Nadler (202) 225-5635

11^th Daniel Donovan (202) 225-3371

12^th Carolyn Maloney (202) 225-7944

13^th Adriano Espaillat (202) 225-4365

14^th Joseph Crowley (202) 225-3965

15^th Jose E. Serrano (202) 225-4361

16^th Eliot Engel (202) 225-2464

17^th Nita Lowey (202) 225-6506

18^th Sean Patrick Maloney (202) 225-5441

19^th John Faso (202) 225-5614

20^th Paul D. Tonko (202) 225-5076

21^st Elise Stefanik (202) 225-4611

22^nd Claudia Tenney (202) 225-3665

23^rd Tom Reed (202) 225-3161

24^th John Katko (202) 225-3701

25^th Louise Slaughter (202) 225-3615

26^th Brian Higgins (202) 225-3306

27^th Chris Collins (202) 225-5265

North Carolina

1^st G.K. Butterfield (202) 225-3101

2^nd George Holding (202) 225-3032

3^rd Walter B. Jones (202) 225-3415

4^th David Price (202) 225-1784

5^th Virginia Foxx (202) 225-2071

6^th Mark Walker (202) 225-3065

7^th David Rouzer (202) 225-2731

8^th Richard Hudson (202) 225-3715

9^th Robert Pittenger (202) 225-1976

10^th Patrick T. McHenry (202) 225-2576

11^th Mark Meadows (202) 225-6401

12^th Alma Adams (202) 225-1510

13^th Ted Budd (202) 225-4531

North Dakota

At Large Kevin Cramer (202) 225-2611

Northern Mariana Islands

Delegate Gregorio Sablan (202) 225-2646

Ohio

1^st Steve Chabot (202) 225-2216

2^nd Brad Wenstrup (202) 225-3164

3^rd Joyce Beatty (202) 225-4324

4^th Jim Jordan (202) 225-2676

5^th Robert E. Latta (202) 225-6405

6^th Bill Johnson (202) 225-5705

7^th Bob Gibbs (202) 225-6265

8^th Warren Davidson (202) 225-6205

9^th Marcy Kaptur (202) 225-4146

10^th Michael Turner (202) 225-6465

11^th Marcia L. Fudge (202) 225-7032

12^th Pat Tiberi (202) 225-5355

13^th Tim Ryan (202) 225-5261

14^th David Joyce (202) 225-5731

15^th Steve Stivers (202) 225-2015

16^th Jim Renacci (202) 225-3876

Oklahoma

1^st Jim Bridenstine (202) 225-2211

2^nd Markwayne Mullin (202) 225-2701

3^rd Frank Lucas (202) 225-5565

4^th Tom Cole (202) 225-6165

5^th Steve Russell (202) 225-2132

Oregon

1^st Suzanne Bonamici (202) 225-0855

2^nd Greg Walden (202) 225-6730

3^rd Earl Blumenauer (202) 225-4811

4^TH Peter DiFazio (202) 225-6416

5^th Kurt Schrader (202) 225-5711

Pennsylvania

1^st Robert Brady (202) 225-4731

2^nd Dwight Evans (202) 225-4001

3^rd Mike Kelly (202) 225-5406

4^th Scott Perry (202) 225-5836

5^th Glenn W. Thompson (202) 225-5121

6^th Ryan Costello (202) 225-4315

7^th Pat Meehan (202) 225-2011

8^th Brian Fitzpatrick (202) 225-4276

9^th Bill Shuster (202) 225-2431

10^th Tom Mariano (2020 225-3731

11^th Lou Barletta (202) 225-6511

12^th Keith Rothfus (202) 225-2065

13^th Brendan Boyle (202) 225-6111

14^th Mike Doyle (202) 225-2135

15^th Charles W. Dent (202) 225-6411

16^th Lloyd Smucker (202) 225-2411

17^th Matthew Cartwright (202) 225-5546

18^th Tim Murphy (Vacancy) (202) 225-2301

Puerto Rico

Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzales-Colo`n (202) 225-2615

Rhode Island

1^st David Cicilline (202) 225-4911

2^nd Jim Langevin (202) 225-2735

South Carolina

1^st Mark Sanford (202) 225-3176

2^nd Joe Wilson (202) 225-2452

3^rd Jeff Duncan (202) 225-5301

4^th Trey Gowdy (202) 225-6030

5^th Ralph Norman (202) 225-5501

6^th James E. Clyburn (202) 225-3315

7^th Tom Rice (202) 225-9895

South Dakota

At Large Kristi Noem (202) 225-2801

Tennessee

1^st Phil Roe (202) 225-6356

2^nd John J. Duncan Jr. (202) 225-5435

3^rd Chuck Fleischmann (202) 225-3271

4^th Scott DesJarlais (202) 225-6831

5^th Jim Cooper (202) 225-4311

6^th Diane Black (202) 225-4231

7^th Marsha Blackburn (202) 225-2811

8^th David Kustoff (202) 225-4714

9^th Steve Cohen (202) 225-3265

Texas

1^st Louie Gohmert (202) 225-3035

2^nd Ted Poe (202) 225-6565

3^rd Sam Johnson (202) 225-4201

4^th John Ratcliffe (202) 225-6673

5^th Jeb Hensarling (202) 225-3484

6^th Joe Barton (202) 225-2002

7^th John Culbertson (202) 225-2571

8^th Kevin Brady (202) 225-4901

9^th Al Green (202) 225-7508

10^th Michael T. McCaul (202) 225-2401

11^th K. Michael Conaway (202) 225-3605

12^th Kay Granger (202) 225-5071

13^th Mac Thornberry (202) 225-3706

14^th Randy Weber (202) 225-2831

15^th Vincente Gonzales (202) 225-2531

16^th Beto O’Rourke (202) 225-4831

17^th Bill Flores (202) 225-6105

18^th Sheila Jackson lee (202) 225-3816

19^th Jodey Arrington (202) 225-4005

20^th Joaquin Castro (202) 225-3236

21^st Lamar Smith (202) 225-4236

22^nd Pete Olson (202) 225-5951

23^rd Will Hurd (202) 225-4511

24^th Kenny Merchant (202) 225-6605

25^th Roger Williams (202) 225-9896

26^th Michael Burgess (202) 225-7772

27^th Blake Farenthold (202) 225-7742

28^th Henry Cuellar (202) 225-1640

29^th Gene Green (202) 225-1688

30^th Eddie Bernice Johnson (202) 225-8885

31^st John Carter (202) 225-3864

32^nd Pete sessions (202) 225-2231

33^rd Marc Veasey (202) 225-9897

34^th Filemon Vela (202) 225-9901

35^th Lloyd Doggert (202) 225-4865

36^th Brian Babin (202) 225-1555

Utah

1^st Rob Bishop (202) 225-0453

2^nd Chris Stewart (202) 225-9730

3^rd John R. Curtis (202) 225-7751

4^th Mia Love (202) 225-3011

Vermont

At Large Peter Welch (202) 225-4115

Virgin Islands

Delegate Stacey Plaskett (202) 225-1790

Virginia

1^st Robert J. Wittman (202) 225-4261

2^nd Scott Taylor (202) 225-4215

3^rd Robert C. Scott (202) 225-8351

4^th A. Donald McEachin (202) 225-6365

5^th Thomas Garrett (202) 225-4711

6^th Bob Goodlatte (202) 225-5431

7^th Dave Brat (202) 225-2815

8^th Don Beyer (202) 225-4376

9^th Morgan Griffith (202) 225-3861

10^th Barbara Comstock (202) 225-5136

11^th Gerald “Gerry” E. Connolly (202) 225-1492

Washington

1^st Suzan DelBene (202) 225-6311

2^nd Rick Larsen (202) 225-2605

3^rd Jamie Herrera Beutler (202) 225-3536

4^th Dan Newhouse (202) 225-5816

5^th Cathy McMorris Rodgers (202) 225-2006

6^th Derek Kilmer (202) 225-5916

7^th Pramila Jayapal (202) 225-3106

8^th David G. Reichert (202) 225-7761

9^th Adam Smith (202) 225-8901

10^th Denny Heck (202) 225-9740

West Virginia

1^st David McKinley (202) 225-4172

2^nd Alex Mooney (202) 225-2711

3^rd Evan Jenkins (202) 225-3452

Wisconsin

1^st Paul D. Ryan (202) 225-3031

2^nd Mark Pocan (202) 225-2906

3^rd Ron Kind (202) 225-5506

4^TH Gewn Moore (202) 225-4572

5^th F. James Sensenbrenner (202) 225-5101

6^th Glenn Grothman (202) 225-2476

7^th Sean P. Duffy (202) 225-3365

8^th Mike Gallagher (202) 225-5665

Wyoming

At Large Liz Cheney (202) 225-2311

Disclaimer: None of the individual contributors, system operators, developers, or anyone else connected to this article can take any responsibility for the results or consequences of any attempt to use or adopt any of the information presented in this article.

References:

Halpenny, G., 2017, “Mitragyna speciosa: Balancing Potential Medical Benefits and Abuse,” ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 8(9), pp. 897-899

“Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine Into Schedule I”, Federal Register, Vol. 81 No. 169, August 31, 2016, https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-08-31/pdf/2016-20803.pdf

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-20803.pdf

http://www.rush2013.com/

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/rush.html

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/tenth_amendment

https://www.house.gov/representatives

Keywords: Dr. Benjamin Rush Amendment

Tags: Rush Amendment, Dr. Benjamin Rush Amendment, medical freedom, mitragyna speciosa, kratom, DEA, FDA, 10^th amendment, congress, house of representatives, holistic medicine, Rush

Mitragyna Speciosa: Taking the American Counterculture by Storm

August 15, 2017 By John Reed 1 Comment

Mitragyna Speciosa, A.K.A. Kratom, has almost become a staple in the American counterculture. Walk into any head shop, smoke shop, or locally owned convenience store and you are sure to find hidden behind the counter at least the Maeng Da strain, if you are lucky there will be a couple of others to choose from. Kratom was not widely known until the Food and Drug Administration decided to place kratom on the radar back in October 2016. The DEA blindsided consumers in August with a sudden announcement that it would make two compounds in kratom – mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine – Schedule I substances, effectively banning the plant with as little as 30 days’ notice. By doing so, the FDA only hindered their hopes of banning the beneficial herb due to an overwhelming outcry by the kratom community. 1

Never before has the FDA seen a public campaign of this nature. “Based on the response we’ve gotten over the last month or so, we believe it’s the prudent and reasonable action to take,” DEA spokesman Russ Baer says. “We want to make sure this is a transparent process. We want to have an open dialog with the public.”2 During the public comment period, well over 2,000 kratom advocates, who were greatly opposed to the ban called the FDA to share their concerns and personal success stories in hopes of overturning their decision to ban the supplement. “That was eye-opening for me personally,” DEA spokesperson Melvin Patterson said to the Washington Post. “I want the kratom community to know that the DEA does hear them. Our goal is to make sure this is available to all of them.”3 Another spokesman for the FDA, Russ Baer, went on to say “They have claimed individually that kratom has given them medical value,” Baer says, “that it has medical utility ranging from migraine headaches to chronic pain, to Crohn’s disease, to anxiety, depression, opioid withdrawal – these are all conditions that medicines usually try to alleviate.”2 Even the President took notice when upset advocates flooded the White House with petitions urging Donald Trump to second guess the FDA’s hasty actions.4 Lawmakers throughout the United States also began signing legislature in hopes of gaining both public popularity and also voicing their opinions as kratom advocates, and users as well.

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Since the initial threat of a ban, Kratom sales have boosted throughout America both online and in the storefront. In August, when the threat of a ban loomed heavily on the kratom community, online stores experienced an overnight boom in sales leaving most vendors out of stock until things smoothed over. Many advocates, out of fear of losing access to the herb, began seeking sources outside the United States. Vendors in Indonesia began flooding Facebook groups in attempts to gain access to the Kratom community. Many offer the best strains, kilograms for under $70, and guaranteed shipment through customs. Canadian farms also became another source for many Kratom connoisseurs to purchase through. This left many buyers in outrage as their product was confiscated in route by customs, or they sent money via PayPal only to never hear from the seller again and be out large sums of money.

When researching Kratom use, or rise thereof, in the United States, I found little information on the exact number of users. In fact, since studies in general have rarely been conducted a search through Google only turned up minimal information. One thread on Reddit had this to say on use of kratom in America today, Reason I ask is that over the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a variety of numbers from articles/posts stating hundreds to thousands. It’s hard to get a grasp on the size of the potential constituency unless we have an idea. From the DEA’s own intent letter, they mention 55,000kg being encountered by Law Enforcement in two years (2014-2016), or close to 12 million doses (their estimation). That number of just the encountered amount really seems high for hundreds or thousands of people. Makes me wonder if the Kratom community is much bigger than we even know.

I think it’s a point worth investigating. If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them. This question could be helped by any vendors that have a raw count too. This information might be useful to the AKA.”5

Regardless of the number of users, it is safe to say that Mitragyna Speciosa has taken American counterculture by storm! Whether it is used to wean off narcotics, or to eliminate pain in chronic pain patients, or one of the other many beneficial reasons to take kratom, the fact cannot be denied that Americans love their kratom! And by the looks of it, it is luckily not leaving the scene anytime soon.

The Legal Status of Kratom

July 14, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

Kratom is an amazing nootropic that has been used the world over by countless people to treat pain, feel better and relieve anxiety. This plant-based product has been used by millions of individuals worldwide and is a fixture among traditional cultures in South East Asia. It is considered safe when used as directed and is seen as a useful tool in treating opiate withdrawal. Several countries have places restrictions on kratom use while others have outright outlawed it. It all started in Thailand where the government placed a ban on kratom use in the 1920s after they realized that the cheap price of kratom, a plant that grows in abundance and could sometimes be found for free, was cutting in on the government’s opium trade.

From 196 countries in the world, just 4 countries have made this plant completely illegal for human consumption under any circumstances. Only few countries have not banned it completely, but still have strict regulations on human consumption, and in most of the countries is legal available for human consumption, because of its importance.

United States: In United States, kratom is not banned. It is legal and allowed for human consumption but only in the states of Wisconsin, Vermont, Indiana and Tennessee have laws which forbid the use of kratom. You do not need a prescription to purchase it and it is not currently regulated by the FDA. Kratom has improved the quality of life for countless individuals living within the borders of these four states, and because of ignorant and uniformed state leadership, these American Citizens will no longer be able to legally benefit from this all-natural tree leaf. There are some states considered to be hotspots at least in terms of keeping this trade safe. Again, you should be proactive and ready to investigate or research of its current legal status before purchasing it from any sources. Some of these states, where kratom is watched include Vermont, Arizona, Iowa, Hawaii, and Louisiana.

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.United Kingdom: At the moment, kratom is completely legal for purchase and use within the country. You can purchase Kratom in the UK without a prescription and it is not currently scheduled or restricted. Throughout the region, which include England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales — any user can purchase the herb over the internet, but this herb tend to be a lot more expensive than North American based retailers.

Canada: Kratom is completely legal in Canada and its expected to become the next big hub of Kratom use. With the statistics of Kratom showing optimistic figures, this herbal medicine is all set to become a global movement. Because this country has a progressive mentality regarding traditional medicine and healthcare and due to this fact it’s hardly surprising the herb is legal and safe to ingest.

Australia: Kratom is currently illegal in Australia at this time and is listed as a schedule 9 drug, because they believed it had the potential for abuse, despite the fact that the Committee recognized that no cases of Mitragynine abuse had occurred in Australia. Because this legal status is unreasonable and unjustified, followers of natural remedies have lost all hope.

Austria: Kratom is legal for consuming and purchasing in Austria.

Belgium: Kratom is not a controlled plant in Belgium and all of the alkaloids present in it remains unscheduled. It is categorized as completely legal drug and hence is available easily at the local vendors

Brazil: Kratom use is legal in Brazil where the leaves of the plant as well as Kratom extracts are sold by local vendors. Trade and consumption has no legal obligations here.

Denmark: Although the purchase and sale of kratom was legal until 2009, currently it is considered as a controlled substance in the country and is therefore a substance with a few restrictions on its use.

Finland: Kratom in not entirely banned, the country requires you to possess a valid prescription in order to be able to buy or import the drug for consumption. The herb is classified as a medicinal substance and its importation is prohibited by section 19 count 1 of the Medicines Act. Importing the plant to Finland is illegal, your shipment will be confiscated at the border.

Germany: Due to the fact that laws have recently changed, this country’s stand on this herb is a little vague. In the past, people could import and export the kratom with no legal repercussions. In these days, the plant is listed as an unlicensed drug due to the Section 73 of Medicines Act. The act says that entering the country with the drug on you, can get you problems at the border security check. The law also outlines potential penalties including fines and jail time for Germans who unlawfully order it online.

Greece: Kratom use is permitted in Greece. It is feely available to use without any prescription. Neither Kratom as plant or Mitragynine appear to be listed in Greece’s controlled substances law.

Hungary: While Mitragyna Speciosa leaves are illegal to human consumption, kratom leaves and extracts can be purchased at headshops sold as incense.

Indonesia: This country is a leading producer and exporter of Mitragyna products. It is legal to grow and sell in this country, and illegal to export it, but Indonesian strains continue to be sold and enjoyed around the world. It is reported that Indonesia has banned kratom for export, but we believe that it is not illegal inside Indonesia. In 2013, one visitor reports that a vendor in Indonesia shipped them kratom into the US without any problem.

Ireland: According to previous Irish Statute Law or in the Misuse of Drugs Act you could buy Kratom locally in Ireland. However, recently, the government has declared this herb as an illegal substance and its use an offence with a penalty of fine or punishment. It is a controlled substance under the Misuse Of Drugs act since 2011.

Italy: There are not sufficient proof supporting the current legal status of kratom in the country. Despite that, some if the Italian users claim that the herb is completely legal in their country and has no legal issues associated with its consumption. But, it will be best to consult an official for legit legal status of this substance.

Malaysia: If you want to sell kratom in Malaysia, it’s necessary to get a license issued by the government for the same. If you don’t posses this license, it is illegal to either plant, grow, sell or perhaps consume this herb for any purpose..

Myanmar: In Myanmar or Burma, is completely forbidden to sell or consume kratom.

Netherlands: Kratom is legal in the Netherlands, actually this country is a leading supplier of kratom and its supplements in the entire Europe. In the country it can be purchased from smartshops as well as from online Dutch vendors.

New Zealand: According to New Zealand new law if you want to consume kratom you will need prescription. According to the Medicines Amendment Regulations Act of 2009, Mitragyna Speciosa leaves and its products are categorized under Schedule 1 as a prescription drug. Thisact regulate that is illegal to buy or sell kratom in this country, unless you have this valid medical prescription.Who is found to be growing, selling or consuming this drug without a prescription is breaking the law and is accused of breaking the law and this actc results with a punishment.

Romania: Romania banned kratom (including Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine) on February the 10th, 2010. So obviously, it is prohibited to sell, buy, grow or even consume this drug anywhere in the country, otherwise, this act will be punished.

Russia: There are rules in this country that are not clearly understoond and hence this is a controversial topic. Some sources say that it is still legal while others cite a change in the law some time in 2011. Therefore if you want to consume kratom in Russia the best thing you can do is to consult a government official about its current legal status before consuming the drug in this country.

Sweden: In this moment, Mitragyna Speciosa leaves are illegal to use in Sweden and it is not listed on any drug schedules. However, there are indications that this law may change in the future.

South Korea: According to some reports, South Korea is another country that has outlawed Kratom use. It is heavily regulated with severe criminal penalties imposed against people who attempt importing this plant.

Thailand: Kratom tree is originated from Thailand, and was used by the ancestors of this country in many ways. Actually Mitragyna Speciosa leaves are commonly prepared as a tea and consumed as a drink similar to coffee. However, it is shocking that the country has still categorized it as a level 5 Narcotic, making it illegal to buy or sell this herb. It is interesting to know that the “Thai Kratom” product available online actually comes from Indonesia or other nearby countries.

Illegal:

These are the countries that prohibited kratom use:

Australia
Malaysia
Myanmar
Thailand

Strict Guidelines:

In these countries kratom is categorized as a Schedule 1 drug and has powerful regulations.

Denmark
Finland
Germany
New Zealand
Romania

References:

-http://speciosa.org/

-http://kratomlegend.com/

-http://www.mitragyna.com/legality/

Anti-inflammatory effects of Mitragyna speciosa

July 4, 2017 By John Reed 1 Comment

Inflammation is a response to pathogens, chemical, or based onneurogenic loops. The methanolic solution of Mitragyna speciosa has anti-inflammatory properties. Intraperitoneal administration of an M. speciosa extract was able to inhibit the development of a carrageenaninduced paw oedema with a maximal inhibition during first 3 h after the challenge. The solution may exert its anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the synthesis, release and action of a number of hyperalgesic mediators. Thereby, it suppresses the early phase of acute inflammation. Arachidonic acid and its metabolites can be responsible for the inhibitory activity of the extract for a period of 4 h. Daily administration of the M. speciosa extract was also able to inhibit the growth of granuloma tissue as characterized by proliferation of modified macrophages, fibroblasts and highly vascularized and reddened mass tissue. (Zurina, 2013)

Kratom leaf and Kratom extracts have been shown to mildly inhibit the body’s ability to feel pain, as well as having mild, anti-depressant, and muscle relaxant effects. The key word here, is mild. For most humans, the painkilling effect of Kratom was on par with over the counter medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.

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From a practical standpoint, taking five grams of Kratom instead of a few hundred milligrams of aspirin, is not going to make sense for most people. If it simply possessed anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, nobody would be interested in Kratom.

Besides the aforementioned mild pain relief, it was noticed a slight opiate-style body high, and a very pronounced mood elevation. We would imagine that Kratom could successfully be used as an anti-depressant. It also has a stimulant effect that is unlike prescription opiates and generally the opposite of anti-depressants. At lower doses, I didn’t have the drowsy feeling that would normally accompany a traditional opiate-based painkiller.

From a practical standpoint, Kratom probably has very little potential as a “social” drug. Dumping a tablespoon of powder in your mouth isn’t really the same as passing a joint, and putting ten grams of powder into capsules can get time-consuming.

Some users have say that the pain relief allows them to train harder, heavier, and for longer. So anecdotally, we could say that a strong trend for the use of Kratom (as a painkiller) athletics…

With that in mind, Kratom has proven effective in alleviating withdrawal symptoms from central nervous system depressants like opiates and alcohol, and I would suspect that it has utility in treating addiction to painkillers also.

You could train using kratom, and you cannot notice any change in either soreness or recovery and it didn’t seem to have any effect on strength or stamina. This is partly why it’s gotten popular with athletes, because although it appears to work on the opioid receptors to dull pain, it doesn’t seem to negatively inhibit performance.

Despite its popularity, there are still some unanswered questions regarding its potential side-effects. Research in this area is lacking, although there strong evidence to suggest that case reports of negative effects have been greatly influenced by user polypharmacy (i.e. people damaging their bodies, or even dying with Kratom in their system, were almost always found with traces of something else in their system).

The spoil-sports over at the World Anti-Doping Agency have already placed Kratom on their monitoring list, and its use is banned in competition (its most logical use for performance enhancement). Naturally, it can be detected in urine, but a typical employer or sporting organization isn’t testing for it.

Unfortunately, the legal status of the herb is somewhat up in the air. The FDA has issued an import alert (meaning they’ll stop it at the border if anyone tries to bring it in), though it’s not illegal or banned per se.

On the state level, Tennessee, Vermont, New Jersey, and Wyoming have banned it’s sale, but that’s irrelevant if someone buys it online from another state. There is more restrictive legislation in the works, and a lobbying group has been started by Kratom sellers and enthusiasts to keep it (sort of) legal.

The various alkaloids that it contains and it complex interactions together promote these health benefits to its users. Some of the alkaloids which specifically help in giving the herb its anti-inflammatory properties are:

Epicatechin: Its antioxidant properties can promote overall health. Its interactions with the lipid system can also improve longevity. Its physical performance benefits stem from its mitochondrial enhancement properties. Epicatechin promotes a lean body composition as well. Epicatechin can promote healthy visual and spatial memory by upregulating genes associated with learning.

It also has the following properties- Antioxidant, antihepatitic, antiaggregant, antiseptic, antidiuretic, anti-mutagenic, antiperoxidant, and antiviral.

Rhynchophylline: This anti-inflammatory alkaloid comprises of about 1% of the total alkaloid content of the leaf. It is rich in other properties like- Vasodilation, antiaggregant, antihypertensive, antipyretic, calcium channel blocker, anti-arrhythmic and anthelmintic.

References:

– http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/epicatechin.php

– Zurina, H., Mustapha, M., “From Kratom to mitragynine and its derivatives: Physiological and behavioural effects related to use, abuse, and addiction”, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 37, pp. 138-151, 2013.

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19648761

Kratom extraction methods and effects

June 29, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

Mitragynine is the main alkaloid present in Mitragyna speciosa leaf with opioid agonistic activity. The mitragynine content in Mitragyna speciosa leaves varied from place to place depending on the geographical location and season. The mitragynine content of Thai M. speciosa was 66% of the total alkaloids while the Malaysian species contained only 12% of the total alkaloids. This necessitates finding a simple, fast and reproducible method to obtain mitragynine from Malaysian species of M. speciosa. Currently, several methods are available for the extraction and isolation of mitragynine from Mitragyna speciosa leaf. These extraction and isolation methods published have their own advantages and disadvantages. Most of these methods commonly employs soxhlet extraction method using methanol as solvent to obtain the crude extract of M. speciosa leaves. However, these methods were very slow and require days to obtain crude extract of M. Speciosa. The extract obtained by these methods were sticky, agglutinated and might need sonication to facilitate the extraction of mitragynine from the crude extracts. (Goh,2011)

Most of the Kratom extracts are made in water. They are categorized as 5x, 10x and 15x, 20x, 25x, etc. which shows how much leaf is used to make it by weight. The extraction has made it very soft so that when it is added to warm water, it dissolves within minutes. (Goh,2011)

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For home made water based extraction, you need 200mg of fresh Kratom which is already finely grounded with no visible veins.

First step is the addition of water which is enough saturate Kratom. This step requires experience and needs a careful watch. No lumps are to be made while mixing in water.
After adding water, the mixture is heated to obtain boils along with continuous stir. Wooden spoons are preferred to be used.
Juice of one fresh lemon or lime can be mixed which helps to extract the alkaloids out of leaves powder. As this mixture is boiled, the lemon juice is evaporated which means it makes no difference to the taste. However, it enhances the taste.
After boiling the mixture for 20-30 minutes, you can turn the flame off and let it settle when it takes the shape of a syrup like paste.
Kratom and lime mixture is to be filtered for which you can use a muslin bag which will help only the liquid with infused Kratom to pass. If you are using crushed leaves, a strainer can work for filtration too.
Rubber gloves are advised to be used in straining step since the liquid is very hot, it might burn the hands.
The leftover solid Kratom can be shifted back to the cooking pot along with more lime juice, re-boiled and re-strained to extract the reaming alkaloids.
The boiled and filtered water is rest aside in a flat dish which makes the water evaporate.
When most of the water is evaporated, the result is thick paste of Kratom, it might take 1-2 days depending on the consistency of the mixture.
After one day or two, it takes the shape of a semi-sold and finally a solid but breakable shape. It can be molded to form tablets, grounded with pestle and mortar to make powder or can be used as it is by breaking a small part and dissolving it in tea.

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From 200mg Powder Kratom, the pure extract can be achieved of 35-40 grams. You can make your ingredient count for obtaining the desired concentration.

In Malaysia and Thailand, the leaves are traditionally used to treat intestinal infections, muscle pain, to reduce coughing and diarrhea. M. speciosa preparations have been used by Malay and Thai natives for its opium and coca-like effects to enhance tolerance for hard work under the hot sun. According to Burkill (1935), the earliest reports of Kratom use in Malaysia date back to 1836, when its use as opium substitution was reported. Holmes (1895) later confirmed this and identified the leaves as those from the M. speciosa tree. In the nineteenth century, M. speciosa was reported to work as an opium substitute in the treatment of opium addiction in Malaysia and Thailand. (Zurina, 2013)

A researcher reported withdrawal effects after M. speciosa consumption. Several researchers described the medical use of the Kratom leaves in Thailand had been used to replace morphine in addicts during detoxification in treatment programmes. Kratom has weaker effects than morphine with a shorter duration. Recently two surveys in Malaysia and one in Thailand among current users in the community have been published. These studies also found that Ketum/Kratom was used to increase physical endurance and as a cheaper substitute for opiates. In Thailand, M. speciosa preparations are consumed by the three wheeled motorized ‘taxis’ as an amphetamine substitute. In Western societies, plant preparations are easily accessible from the local coffee shops and web-based ‘legal highs’ pharmacies. This had enticed many consumers there to use the plant as selftreatment in modulating opiate withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal, and chronic pain. In fact, it is a cheaper alternative to the established opioid-replacement therapies and is obtainable without medical prescription. (Zurina, 2013)

There is a general effect of ‘cocaine-like’ stimulation in small doses, while at high doses ‘morphine-like’ sedation and nausea are reported. Several studies suggestthat M. speciosa preparations have analgesic, antipyretic, antidiarrheal, euphoric, anti-depressant, and anxiolytic effects. They may work as immune booster, lower blood pressure, and have anti-viral, diabetes- and appetite suppressing. Besides this, they can also cause anorexia, dry-mouth, diuresis and constipation after long term use at high doses. While there was no evidence of a dosage increment among long-term and repeated users, withdrawal symptoms were reported which suggest an addiction potential. (Zurina, 2013)

These symptoms range from hostility, aggression, aching of muscles and bones, jerky movements of the limbs, and anorexia to weight loss and insomnia. Long term effect of the consumption can also cause darker skin although the user remained indoors. The darker skin is due to the increase in the melanocyte-stimulating substance. It was suggested that in particular mitragynine may increase the production of melanocytestimulating substance. Long term users were reported to be thin with distended stomachs, unhealthy complexions, dark lips and dry skin. (Zurina, 2013)

References:

Goh, T. B., Mohamed, R. H., Mohamed, J., S., Mohd, N., ” A SIMPLE AND COST EFFECTIVE ISOLATION AND PURIFICATION PROTOCOL OF MITRAGYNINE FROM MITRAGYNA SPECIOSA KORTH (KETUM) LEAVES”, The Malaysian Journal Of Analytical Science, 15, pp. 54-60, 2011.
Zurina, H., Mustapha, M., “From Kratom to mitragynine and its derivatives: Physiological and behavioural effects related to use, abuse, and addiction”, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 37, 138-151, 2013.

Mitragyna Speciosa: Could This Be the Answer to America’s Opioid Epidemic?

June 27, 2017 By John Reed 1 Comment

As the pharmaceutical companies continue to push narcotics onto Americans, the rate for addiction and death has almost tripled over the last decade. According to the World Drug Report in 2012, “It is estimated that between 26.4 million and 36 million people abuse opioids worldwide,1 with an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance abuse disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012 and an estimated 467,000 addicted to heroin.”2 According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids rose from 28,647 in 2014 to 33,091 in 2015.3

Heroin overdose deaths rose from 10,574 in 2014 to 12,990 in 2015, an increase of 23 percent.
Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone rose from 5,544 in 2014 to 9,580 in 2015, an increase of 73 percent. This category of opioids is dominated by fentanyl-related overdoses, and recent research indicates the fentanyl involved in these deaths is illicitly manufactured, not from medications containing fentanyl.
Taken together, 19,885 Americans lost their lives in 2015 to deaths involving primarily illicit opioids: heroin, synthetic opioids other than methadone (e.g., fentanyl), or a mixture of the two.
Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids, excluding the category predominated by illicit fentanyl, rose only slightly from 16,941 in 2014 to 17,536 in 2015, a 4% increase.
NOTE: A portion of the overdose deaths involved both illicit opioids and prescription opioids.3

Fig.1

The total number of opioid pain relievers prescribed in the United States has skyrocketed in the past 25 years. The number of prescriptions for opioids (like hydrocodone and oxycodone products) have escalated from around 76 million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013, with the United States their biggest consumer globally, accounting for almost 100 percent of the world total for hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin) and 81 percent for oxycodone (e.g., Percocet).4

Recently, the DEA and FDA began working together to crack down on the amount of opiates distributed in America by physicians and pharmaceutical companies; such as hydrocodone, oxycontin and morphine. “Fourteen billion opioid pills are now dispensed annually in the United States – enough for every adult American to have a bottle of pills. Certainly, the pharmaceutical industry is at fault for decades of misleading information about their products and the medical community bears responsibility for its role in over-prescribing these dangerous and addictive drugs, but we remain deeply troubled by the sheer volume of opioids available – volumes that are approved by DEA.”5

Kratom Is a Surprising Answer to This Terrifying Dilemma

Kratom is neither a drug nor an opiate. It is a deciduous tree that grows natively in Southeast Asia and has been used for its healing properties for centuries. The leaves of the plant contain dozens of alkaloids that can produce both stimulation and sedation as well as euphoria in those that ingest it. 7-hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine are the most active alkaloids contained within the herb and are believed to be responsible for most of the effects that it produces. Mitragynine (the most plentiful alkaloid) is an opioid agonist, meaning that it is drawn toward the opioid receptors in the brain. In the brain of an addict, those opiate receptors begin to ‘cry out’, so to speak, for that drug. Kratom’s unique alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine bind to those needy receptors and ease the withdrawal symptoms by tricking the brain into thinking it has found its fix.

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A dose of Kratom can help to relieve the unpleasant side effects of the withdrawal by attaching its alkaloids to the delta-opioid receptors in the brain. Although opiate drugs bind to the mu-opioid receptors, the mitragynine’s unique ability to attach to the delta receptors can relieve withdrawal symptoms without the risk of further dependency, thus alleviating these common withdrawal symptoms:

Anxiety
Muscle aches
Increased tearing
Insomnia
Runny nose
Sweating
Yawning
Abdominal cramping
Diarrhea
Dilated pupils
Goose bumps
Nausea
Vomiting
Agitation

The effects can be felt in as little as ten minutes and can last six hours or more, depending on the type of Kratom and how much was taken. Kratom will not produce extremely strong euphoric feelings like opiates do, but it can soothe an opiate addiction successfully, and is a much safer and healthier alternative to methadone or suboxone.

All Kratom types affect the opioid receptors in some way and can provide relief from withdrawal symptoms. The most popular choice for addicts are the red vein strains due to their sedating and strong pain-relieving qualities. At high doses, almost any type of Kratom will provide sedation, however the red strains are generally better suited for withdrawal symptoms. White vein Thai, Red vein Borneo, Red vein Thai and Red vein Malay are all popular strains for this purpose.7

When using Kratom for opiate withdrawals, it is important to remember to monitor your dosing closely. Using Kratom for this purpose will require a higher dose than someone who was just using it to enhance their mood or treat mild pain. While Kratom is not addictive, it can be habit forming. In larger quantities, kratom can cause ill effects; such as nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness. Do not use more than recommended. Below is the general Kratom dosing guide. Most Kratom users reach their desired effects in the mild and moderate ranges, however a heavy opiate user may need to use doses in the strong and very strong range to ease their withdrawals. This, of course, is determined by the quantity and type of narcotics the person is used to consuming, their body composition, the strain of Kratom and other unique variables. It is always safest to use the smallest amount of Kratom to ease your symptoms. As time passes, you can lower your dose and use Kratom more sporadically.7

Strength

Dose

Effect

Threshold

1-3 grams

subtle

Mild

2-4 grams

stimulant-like

Moderate

3-6 grams

stimulant or sedative-like

Strong

6-10 grams

more sedative/euphoric

Very Strong

8-15 grams

very sedative/euphoric

The above table represents an ‘average’ amongst Kratom users and should only be used as a guide. Results vary from person to person and from plant to plant based on many factors8

[1]https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opiods-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse.html

[2]UNODC, World Drug Report 2012. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/WdR-2012.htm[3] https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/12/08/continued-rise-opioid-overdose-deaths-2015-shows-urgent-need-treatment

[4]International Narcotics Control Board Report 2008.United Nations Pubns. 2009. Pg.20

[5]https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2016/10/4/dea-cutting-opioid-supply-in-2017

[6] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000949.htm

[7] http://kratomrevealed.com/kratom-for-opiate-withdrawal-definitive-guide/

Kratom Maeng Da: An extended research of user’s experiences

June 25, 2017 By John Reed Leave a Comment

What is Maeng Da? Many people have been using it since the ancient times as a medical remedy and nowadays it is well known for its medicinal properties as well as an opioid. Are you looking to find out about users experiences, possible side effects or addiction danger. The following article is an extended research of information from scientific papers, blogs and forums, written in a simple way in order to help you get an unbiased idea about Maeng Da.

All around Maeng Da: An extended research of user’s experiences

There is plenty of information online about Mitragyna speciosa Korth, commonly known as Kratom, a drug made from the leaves of a tree that has activity at opioid receptors. Although it has been used as a remedy since the ancient years in several Asiatic countries, the last years it has become easily available via the internet and has been known mostly for the therapy of chronic pain, as a drug of abuse, as well as a means to reduce opioid tolerance. Among the different strains of Kratom that are available, Maeng Da is well known as the most powerful one. Maeng Da has three different varieties, the green, the white and the red. However, trying to find which strain is the best one to use, for what purpose and at which dose it is really confusing. There are numerous websites, forums and blogs that write about Maeng Da user’s experiences, as well as about several ways of preparing it and consuming it. Here we tried to summarize not only the medicinal benefits of Maeng Da, but also its hidden dangers as well as the effects that it had to the health or the psychology of several users.

The debated properties of Kratom

Starting with the medicinal properties of Kratom and as mentioned in previous articles^1.2 and scientific studies^3-6, it is well known for its pain relief/analgesic action, for minimizing the withdrawal symptoms of both opiate addiction and alcoholism, for boosting the immune system, for giving the sense of euphoria, as anxiolytic (Anti-anxiety), anti-leukemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial drug, for fighting depression and insomnia, for the enhancement of concentration, or even for lowering the blood sugar content. However, there are quite some studies, articles and forums that talk about hepatotoxicity^7,8, pulmonary or kidney injury⁹, cardiotoxicity¹⁰, thyroid injury¹¹or even seizures and coma¹². Altogether, available data currently suggest both, a therapeutic as well as an abuse potential of Kratom.

The effects of Maeng Da vary due to several factors!

Focusing again on Maeng Da and, keeping in mind that it is a plant that contains more than 40 different alkaloids, as well as depending on where and what season it was harvested, its content in active biochemicals may vary a lot. Furthermore, depending on the body weight and the physical condition of each consumer as well as on the dose and the preparation method of Maeng Da the effects can be different from person to person. According to experimental data in mice¹³, Mitragynine the main indole alkaloid of Maeng Da, appears to be relatively safe at lower doses (1–10 mg/kg) but induces signs of toxicity after prolonged exposure to higher doses (sub-chronic 28 days: 100 mg/kg). In Table 1 there is a summary of the effects of the main alkaloids in Maeng Da according to several scientific studies.

Table 1. Summary of the effects of the main alkaloids in Maeng Da (modified from Hassan et al. 2013).

Alkaloid	Effect	Reference
Mitragynine	Analgesic, antitussive, antidiarrheal, adrenergic, antimalarial	Hooper (1907); Field (1921); Lee et al. (1967); Ponglux et al. (1994)
Paynantheine	Smooth muscle relaxer	Ponglux et al. (1994)
Speciogynine	Smooth muscle relaxer	Lee et al. (1967); Shellard, 1974; Shellard et al. (1978b);Ponglux et al. (1994)
7-Hydroxymitragynine	Analgesic, antitussive, antidiarrheal	Ponglux et al. (1994)
Speciociliatine	Weak opioid agonist	Lee et al. (1967); Ponglux et al. (1994)

Registered advantages of Maeng Da

As we can notice from Table 1 and as it is also known from publicly available data, Maeng Da has many therapeutic uses and has been used for its medicinal properties for a long time. For instance, in Malaysia and Thailand, the leaves were and are still traditionally used to treat intestinal infections, muscle pain, to reduce coughing and diarrhoea^14-19. Furthermore, the replacement of morphine from Kratom in addicts during detoxification in treatment programmes has been described from Norakanphadung since 1966²⁰ although it is important to mention that Kratom has weaker effects than morphine with a shorter duration. Another interesting effect of Kratom studied from Kumarnsit et al. in rats treated with M. speciose extract was the suppression of food and water intake as well as the reduction of weight gain²¹.

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Side effects of Maend Da

In 2014 two research groups from Malaysia and Germany, conducted a survey on 293 regular Kratom users from the northern part of Malaysia in order to measure Kratom dependence, withdrawal and craving²². They found that more than half of the regular users (above 6 months of use) developed severe Kratom dependence problems, while 45% showed a moderate Kratom dependence. Regarding the physical symptoms they noticed that most of the users commonly experienced muscle spasms and pain, sleeping difficulty, watery eyes/nose, hot flashes, fever, decreased appetite, and diarrhoea. Some users also reported psychological symptoms such as restlessness, tension, anger, sadness, and nervousness. It is also worth mentioning that the average amount of the psychoactive compound, mitragynine, in a single dose of a Kratom drink, used in this study, was 79 mg, suggesting an average daily intake of 276.5 mg. Regular users who consumed ≥3 glasses Kratom per day, had higher odds of developing severe Kratom dependence, withdrawal symptoms, and inability to control Kratom craving.

What users say

There are forums^23-24 and websites that rate Maeng Da as the strongest Kratom strain and that users describe their experiences after preparing and taking Maeng Da in several ways such as toss and wash, in the form of tea or chocolate drink or in the form of powder or capsules. Some worth mentioning and well described cases are: 1) the consumption of 10g Maeng Da powder from a ~130lbs man, who was feeling the main effects of euphoria and high energy for about 1 hour, experienced side effects of nausea, nodding off and frequent urination and had the feeling of sedation afterwards and 2) the preparation of 2 cups of tea, containing 6g of Maeng Da powder from a woman of about 97.5kg who consumed it in about 10min. Within 20min she had a strong sense of euphoria and felt more extroverted and talkative. Later the euphoria faded out into a relaxation feeling for about 1 hour. Green Leaf Kratom²³, a website that sells Kratom, has also created a rating of the effects on the energy level, sedation, pain relief and grid with a scale from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) according to user’s experiences and we have summarized these data in Table 2.

Table 2. Summary of the effects rating of the three different strains of Maeng Da according to GreenLeafKratom.com. 1 is the lowest and 10 the highest.

	Maeng Da varieties
	Green	White	Red
Energy	9	7.5	2
Sedation	1	3	7.5
Pain relief	6	4.5	9
Grid	Fine	Fine, Fine-Medium	Fine

Tolerance to Kratom

It has been recorded in many studies that users who take Kratom regularly and for long periods may experience escalated effects, aversive withdrawal effects and develop tolerance towards it²². To avoid that people have developed several methods. One is called “Rotation by Effects” and is a method that involves using alternating strains types (e.g. Mon. – Sedating, Tues. – Stimulating, Weds. – Sedating). The other is the “Rotation by Vein Color” method which is similar to the above method, but involves rotating by vein color (e.g. Mon. – Red, Tues. – White, Weds. – Green). Moreover, Magnesium supplementation is another way to keep kratom tolerance low and finally, exercise seems to have a cumulative effect, meaning that the more someone exercises the less tolerant he becomes to Kratom, another potentially health benefit it may have.

How to use Maeng Da

Summarizing, all the above data indicate that the dose, the preparation method, the physical condition, the duration of the consumption as well as many other factors determine the effects that Maeng Da can have to each one or the addiction or tolerance that someone can develop towards it. Starting from lower doses, playing with different preparation methods, alternating strains and experimenting with yourself seems to be the safest way to use Kratom either for medicinal purposes or for pleasure. Hopefully, more scientific studies and more detailed users descriptions in several forums will contribute to the safer and better consumption of Maeng Da or even to the development of medicines specifically targeted for the therapy of several diseases.

References

https://www.salviaextract.com/blog/mitragyna-speciosa-kratom-beginners/
https://www.salviaextract.com/blog/kratom-disputed-ancient-opioid-plant-debated-effects/
Trakulsrichai S, Sathirakul K, Auparakkitanon S, Krongvorakul J, Sueajai J, Noumjad N, Sukasem C, Wananukul W Pharmacokinetics of mitragynine in man. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015; 9():2421-9.
Idayu NF, Hidayat MT, Moklas MA, Sharida F, Raudzah AR, Shamima AR, Apryani E Antidepressant-like effect of mitragynine isolated from Mitragyna speciosa Korth in mice model of depression. 2011 Mar 15; 18(5):402-7.
Boyer EW, Babu KM, Adkins JE, McCurdy CR, Halpern JH. Self-treatment of opioid withdrawal using kratom (Mitragynia speciosa korth). Addiction (Abingdon, England). 2008;103(6):1048-1050.
Vijeepallam K, Pandy V, Kunasegaran T, Murugan DD, Naidu M. Mitragyna speciosa Leaf Extract Exhibits Antipsychotic-Like Effect with the Potential to Alleviate Positive and Negative Symptoms of Psychosis in Mice. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2016;7:464. doi:10.3389/fphar.2016.00464.
Pantano, F., Tittarelli, R., Mannocchi, G., Zaami, S., Ricci, S., Giorgetti, R., Marinelli, E. (2016). Hepatotoxicity Induced by “the 3Ks”: Kava, Kratom and Khat. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 17(4)
Kapp FG, Maurer HH, Auwärter V, Winkelmann M, Hermanns-Clausen M. Intrahepatic Cholestasis Following Abuse of Powdered Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). Journal of Medical Toxicology. 2011;7(3):227-231. doi:10.1007/s13181-011-0155-5.
McIntyre IM, Trochta A, Stolberg S, Campman SC Mitragynine ‘Kratom’ related fatality: a case report with postmortem concentrations.J Anal Toxicol. 2015 Mar; 39(2):152-5.
Lu J, Wei H, Wu J, Jamil MF, Tan ML, Adenan MI, Wong P, Shim W Evaluation of the cardiotoxicity of mitragynine and its analogues using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. PLoS One. 2014; 9(12):e115648.
Sheleg SV, Collins GB A coincidence of addiction to “Kratom” and severe primary hypothyroidism. J Addict Med. 2011 Dec; 5(4):300-1.
Karinen R, Fosen JT, Rogde S, Vindenes V An accidental poisoning with mitragynine. Forensic Sci Int. 2014 Dec; 245():e29-32.
Azadeh Sabetghadam, Surash Ramanathan, Sreenivasan Sasidharan, Sharif Mahsufi Mansor Subchronic exposure to mitragynine, the principal alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa, in rats 2013 Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 146;3
Suwanlert, S., 1975. A study of kratom eaters in Thailand. Bulletin on Narcotics 27 (3), 21–27.
Jansen, K.L.R., Prast, C., 1988a. Ethnopharmacology of kratom and the Mitragyna alkaloids. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 23, 115–119.
Said, I.M., Ng, C.C., Houghton, P.J., 1991. Ursolic acid from Mitragyna speciosa. Planta Medica 57, 398.
Chuakul, W., Temsiririkkul, R., Saralamp, P., Paonil, W., 1995. Thai Medical Plants: The National Wisdom. Amarin Printing and Publishing Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand.
Watanabe, K., Yano, S., Horie, S., Yamamoto, L.T., 1997. Inhibitory effect of mitragynine, an alkaloid with analgesic effect from Thai medicinal plant Mitragyna speciosa, on electrically stimulated contraction of isolated guinea-pig ileum through the opioid receptor. Life Sciences 60 (12), 933–942.
Vicknasingam, B., Narayanan, S., Beng, G.T., Mansor, S.M., 2010. The informal use of ketum (Mitragyna speciosa) for opioid withdrawal in the northern states of peninsular Malaysia and implications for drug substitution therapy. International Journal of Drug Policy 21, 283–288.
Norakanphadung, P., 1966. Pramuan Khuamru Ruang Yaseptit Hai Thot. Thanyarak Hospital, Bangkok.
Kumarnsit, E., Keawpradub, N., Nuankaew, W., 2006. Acute and long-term effects of alkaloid extract of Mitragyna speciosa on food and water intake and body weight in rats. Fitoterapia 77, 339–345.
Darshan Singh, Christian P. Müller, Balasingam K. Vicknasingam Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) dependence, withdrawal symptoms and craving in regular users 2014 Drug and Alcohol Dependence 139; 132-137
https://drugs-forum.com/threads/maeng-da-thai-kratom.104845/
https://www.reddit.com/r/kratom/comments/3fwt8r/red_maeng_da_will_i_enjoy_it/
http://www.greenleafkratom.com/products-page-2/powders/new-maeng-da-powder/
http://ensobotanicals.com/kratom/

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa)

Side effects of Maend Da

References:

Side effects of Maend Da

References:

Kratom Is a Surprising Answer to This Terrifying Dilemma

Side effects of Maend Da

Other articles that may interest you

All around Maeng Da: An extended research of user’s experiences

The debated properties of Kratom

The effects of Maeng Da vary due to several factors!

Registered advantages of Maeng Da

Side effects of Maend Da

What users say

Tolerance to Kratom

How to use Maeng Da

References