• DPMC Moderators: thegreenhand | tryptakid
  • Drug Policy & Media Coverage Welcome Guest
    View threads about
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Drug Busts Megathread Video Megathread

The DEA is withdrawing a proposal to ban another plant after the Internet got really

Question Reality

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
24
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-to-ban-the-opiate-like-plant-kratom-for-now/

The DEA is withdrawing a proposal to ban another plant after the Internet got really mad

The Drug Enforcement Administration is reversing a widely criticized decision that would have banned the use of kratom, a plant that researchers say could help mitigate the effects of the opioid epidemic.

Citing the public outcry and a need to obtain more research, the DEA is withdrawing its notice of intent to ban the drug, according to a preliminary document that will be posted to the Federal Register Thursday.

The move is "shocking," according to John Hudak, who studies drug policy at the Brookings Institution. "The DEA is not one to second-guess itself, no matter what the facts are."

The DEA had announced in August that it planned to place kratom in schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, the most restrictive regulatory category, as soon as Sept. 30. But since announcing their intent to ban kratom, the "DEA has received numerous comments from members of the public challenging the scheduling action," acting administrator Chuck Rosenberg wrote in the notice, "and requesting that the agency consider those comments and accompanying information before taking further action."

A spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kratom is a plant from southeast Asia that's related to coffee. It contains a number of chemical compounds that produce effects similar to opiates when ingested.

People who take it have have said kratom helped them overcome addiction to opiates or alcohol and treat otherwise intractable pain. Researchers say that their work with kratom could eventually lead to the development of nonaddictive alternatives to powerful opiate painkillers. Placing kratom in schedule 1 would cripple researchers ability to study the drug, they say.

U.S. lawmakers were among the groups expressing their displeasure with the DEA's intent to ban kratom. A group of 51 U.S. representatives wrote to the DEA saying that the DEA's move "threatens the transparency of the scheduling process and its responsiveness to the input of both citizens and the scientific community."
Hinckley's out. Here's what really led to the assassination attempt
How an obscure obsession led John Hinckley Jr. to shoot President Reagan.

Another group of nine senators said the DEA's "use of this emergency authority for a natural substance is unprecedented," and urged the administration to reconsider.

The DEA will now open up a period for public comment until Dec. 1 of this year. It is also asking the FDA to expedite a "scientific and medical evaluation and scheduling recommendation" for the active chemical compounds in kratom.

At the close of the comment period, a number of things could happen. The DEA could decide to permanently place the plant in a schedule of the Controlled Substances Act, which would require an additional period for lawmakers and the public to weigh in. It could also decide to temporarily schedule kratom, which would not require any additional comment.

It could also decide to leave kratom unregulated.

Advocates for kratom use, who say the plant has helped them treat pain and stop taking more powerful and deadly opiate painkillers said they are elated.

"I am in tears," Susan Ash of the American Kratom Association said in an email. "Our voices are being heard, but we still have a long road ahead of us.

Lawmakers who criticized the initial announcement to ban kratom are also pleased. "Concerned citizens across the country have made it clear, they want the DEA to listen to the science when it comes to the potentially life-saving properties of kratom," said Mark Pocan (D.-Wis.) in an email.

Researchers are welcoming the move, but they point out that the future of their work with the plant is an uncertain one.

"It's certainly a positive development," said Andrew Kruegel of Columbia University in an email. Kruegel is one of the researchers working to develop next-generation painkillers based on compounds contained in kratom.

Kruegel says that the FDA's evaluation of the drug will carry a lot of weight in the DEA's decision. But the kind of rigorous, controlled trials that the FDA typically refers to in situations like this simply don't exist for kratom.

"Unfortunately, in the United States I don't think we have a good regulatory framework for handling this situation or taking perhaps more reasonable middle paths" between banning the drug outright or keeping it unregulated, Kruegel says.

Still, he says, "the FDA is a scientific agency rather than a law enforcement agency, so I am encouraged that they will now be having more serious input on this important policy decision."

Marc Swogger, a clinical psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center who has published research on kratom use and earlier called the decision to ban the plant "insane," said in an email that "I'm happy to see this. It is a step in the right direction and a credit to people who have spoken out against scheduling this plant."

He added "now, the government should take into account, not just the minimal available scientific data on kratom, but the broader impact that criminalizing the use of this plant will have on vulnerable citizens."
 
REMEMBER! The fight is nowhere near over! While this is most def cause for celebration, we now (once the AKA gives us instruction) need to post our comments! Make sure you wait for the AKA announcement, there's a very specific language we need to use to avoid it becoming "medicine"
 
DEA withdraws intent to schedule Kratom! Will have Public Comment Period lasting until December 1st.

Dear valued customer,

The DEA has announced that they are withdrawing their intent to schedule Kratom as per announcement dated August 31, 2016. They are now asking for a comment period to last through December 1, 2016. These comments which are made up of public comments, scientific research, FDA comments will be used to determine how the agency will want to proceed. While the fight is not over, this is a big win and even caught us by surprise (withdrawing original intent)!! Stay tuned over the coming days for further analysis, discussion, and action items to help.

We are extremely proud of the Kratom community and want to say thank you. Keep up the fight.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-24659.pdf

IT'S UP TO US TO SPREAD THE WORD AND GET LOTS OF INPUT TO THE DEA
 
The title of the thread makes it sound like we won totally won the fight and Kratom will stay legal but that's not necessarily the case so lets not get complacent.

It might still end up illegal so I want to know what steps to continue to take to ensure it remains legal.
 
We won a reprieve but the battle is far from over. Be sure to send in your comments during the public period.
 
Fight Fight Fight!!

Its unbelievable to see the fine Senators publicly calling for life saving positive drug policy and the DEA, at least temporarily, stepping back and seriously considering evidence based best for people policy. After decades of insane policy, with effects so negative and far reaching that the vast damage suffered seems so irreconcilable, its fantastical to see this.

Like cj stated please take this opportunity to promote your desired outcome.
 
I'm very pleased to get this info. I will spread the word amongst my circles.
 
Yeah, as I mentioned in the Kratom mega thread, I'm concerned that maybe now people will think they won and NOT continue protesting during the comment period and then the DEA will say "we gave you a comment period and you didn't use it so now we are scheduling it".

Then we'd be like "yeah but we made all those comments and got all those signatures BEFORE the comment period" and they'd say "all that did was earn you the right to have a comment period which you didn't use so we are scheduling it now" and then we'll lose the fight.

How likely do you guys think this is???

I've heard a LOT of overly optimistic posts on this forum with Kratom users just thinking "we won"but Susan Ash of the Kratom society says it's FAR from over so STOP being foolishly optimistic guys!!!!

I am worried that this foolish optimism is EXACTLY what the DEA wants so that we will stop fighting.

I heard people saying "The DEA is listening!!" before and that's just FOOLISH IDEALISTIC BULLSHIT.

The DEA never was and never will be "listening".

They want Kratom illegal just as much as ever and are still influenced by big pharma who wants to make drugs out of Kratom.

DO NOT STOP MAKING CALLS AND SENDING EMAILS!!!

I won't if people here tell me where to send/make them.


But I really am wondering if it is possible that the DEA would not count comments and signatures made BEFORE the commentary period and wonder what people think about that idea.
 
Top