AKA Letter says DEA has Overstepped its bounds in the Most Recent Kratom Ban
The DEA’s proposed use of the emergency scheduling authority in this instance is completely unprecedented … Far from being ‘an imminent hazard,’ kratom herbal products are used routinely, safely, and responsibly by several million consumers in the United States. Never before has DEA invoked its emergency scheduling authority to take action against a natural product with a long history of safe use in the community.
The AKA letter continues… ” the evidence compiled by DEA falls well short of the very high burden DEA must clear in order to justify the need for taking an emergency scheduling action. Kratom use is ancient, not “rapidly” emerging. Kratom is not a new “designer drug” concocted to avoid existing DEA controls; it is a natural botanical substance openly marketed primarily as a natural- source consumer product. Kratom is not intensely reinforcing, leading to destructive behavior. In fact, the evidence is far more compelling that kratom is a staple of self-care that allows individuals to lead their lives productively and without unnecessary reliance on more harmful substances.
Commenting on the letter, Travis Lowin, director, Botanical Education Alliance, said: “The DEA missed the mark here and it would be a gross miscarriage of due process to simply tell millions of American consumers and the legal businesses that serve them that they are now felons.
You can check the full letter – http://bit.ly/2e3C7Z4
