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It seems the DEA disinformation machine is kicking up into overdrive again. The New York Post just published an article that is rife with blatant misinformation. At this point, no matter how many times groups like the Botanical Education Alliance and American Kratom Association have had to step in and offer expert opinions from doctors and researchers to debunk false claims, some reporter always seems willing to offer up the DEA's error-riddled press releases as if they were gospel.

The New York Post article claims that 10% of the respondents to the DEA comment period claimed that they experienced withdrawal. The actual figure was somewhere in between 0.1% and 1.0% in all actuality. The American Coalition of Free Citizens did an analysis of the comment results. 99.1% of the 23,000 respondents were in favor of kratom. Only 113 of the 23,000 supported the DEA's decision for an extra-judicial ban. 48% of the respondents were veterans, law enforcement officials, healthcare professionals, and scientists. This population of the respondents came out in favor of kratom and against a ban with a support level of 98.7%. 21% of the filers who indicated age were 55 or older. Many users of kratom prefer the plant to prescribed pain medication because it is more effective and doesn't have the same side effects of intoxication and addiction that pain pills do.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Scientific American: <a href="https://twitter.com/DEAHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DEAHQ</a>'s kratom ban will "cripple" painkiller research <a href="https://t.co/LRIuPGeLsc">https://t.co/LRIuPGeLsc</a></p>— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) <a href="https://twitter.com/_cingraham/status/780783469752225792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2016</a></blockquote>

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The New York Post also refers to the fact that kratom can bind to the same receptors as opioids. You know what else does that? Multiple studies show that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelpellmanrowland/2017/06/26/cheese-addiction">cheese binds to opiate receptors.</a> Another study showed how <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6296693">"coffee contains potent opiate receptor binding activity."</a> The coffee plant is actually a botanical cousin to kratom. Both hail from the Rubiaceae family. The difference is, caffeine overdose actually does lead to a small number of overdose deaths per year, unlike kratom.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The DEA's Crazy Kratom Ban Dresses Pharmacological Phobia In Scientific Garb via <a href="https://twitter.com/Forbes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@forbes</a> <a href="https://t.co/lEfda78qV7">https://t.co/lEfda78qV7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KratomSavesLives?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KratomSavesLives</a></p>— Melanie Hayes Victor (@lealaken) <a href="https://twitter.com/lealaken/status/783453795196043264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2016</a></blockquote>

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Of the "15 cases of death attributed to kratom," <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/9790-Experts-Debunk-Kratom-Deaths">Dr. Babin points out</a> that 9 were shown to be traceable back to a Swedish kratom product that had been adulterated with the research chemical O-desmethyl-tramadol. Other cases involved at least one other drug that would be more likely to cause or contribute to a death by overdose. In one case, kratom was found present as well as the antihistamine diphenhydramine and cough syrup. Dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine are over-the-counter drugs that are occasionally abused for their hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. Nerve pills, alcohol, and other painkillers were also present at the time. Another "kratom overdose" was the case of a heroin addict who was found with large amounts of benzodiazepines (anxiolytic drugs like Xanax) and cold medicine in his system. Another case involved the drug propylhexedrine which has stimulant effects similar to amphetamines. Yet another death attributed to kratom, morphine, promethazine and other drugs were found in the system. Several of the attributed deaths involve multiple drugs being found in the system that are much more likely to have been the cause of death. In laboratory trials, scientists have not been able to induce death even in lab rodents with any amount of mitragynine intravenously.

Last year, Dr. Babin <a href="https://www.botanical-education.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Dr.-Jane-IP-Synergy-Kratom-Comment.pdf">blasted the DEA's Office of Diversion Control</a> noting that their initial conception of the plant was based on "contradictory opinions, incomplete knowledge of the most current scientific evidence and without input from the public on their experience with kratom." Sadly, despite being brought to task multiple times by doctors, pharmacologists and other experts they continue to spread the same disinformation. Bear in mind, the head of the DEA, when asked if marijuana was safer than heroin claimed <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/07/28/new-dea-leader-pot-probably-not-as-bad-as-heroin">he thought heroin was "probably" more dangerous but admitted, "I'm not an expert."</a> If you don't know whether heroin is more dangerous than coffee, marijuana or kratom, I'd say you probably shouldn't be in charge of banning plants that could potentially loosen the chokehold of the opiate epidemic.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shawn Lucas Cause Of Death Revealed: He Was Drugged With Fentanyl, Cyclobenzaprine, Mitragynine <a href="https://t.co/owv5D32pxn">https://t.co/owv5D32pxn</a></p>— JusticeForWalaa (@ForPotus45) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForPotus45/status/900497610632548353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2017</a></blockquote>

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As for kratom causing death, recently two coroners were debunked by lawyer and molecular biologist Dr. Jane C. Babin, PhD, molecular biology, Purdue University, and JD, University of San Diego School of Law. "Both of these cases appear to add to the long list of mistaken, inaccurate, and now discredited reports implicating kratom," Dr. Babin offered in her 15-page report on the mistakes in the two coroners' reports blaming kratom for two recent deaths. Karl V. Ebner, PhD, is a consultant at KETox Forensic Toxicology Consulting and author of numerous depositions, reports, and opinions related to drug and alcohol-related cases. Dr. Ebner concurred that Dr. Babin's report "very troubling indications" of incorrect attribution of death to kratom, once again.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kratom Now Schedule 1: Cartel Sex Scandal Shamed DEA Suppresses Herb Imports <a href="https://t.co/5LCH4l353I">https://t.co/5LCH4l353I</a></p>— Hack (@racketnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/racketnews/status/771074452813598721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2016</a></blockquote>

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In the midst of an opiate epidemic and the DEA and FDA are doing everything in their power to lie about a plant that could be the most effective ally in the war against addiction. Not like the DEA is in the best standing at the moment anyway. Scandals and corruption have haunted the agency for several years. It was discovered that DEA agents were partying with prostitutes paid supplied by cartels. Some of the prostitutes were likely underage sex slaves, the product of human trafficking. <a href="https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/dea-chief-explains-why-she-cant-fire-agents-involved-sex-parties-paid-drug">Trey Gowdy found it "stunning"</a> that the DEA was unable to fire agents involved.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FACT: 1175 docs, veterans, scientists & cops told DEA they don’t want a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kratom?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kratom</a> ban. <a href="https://t.co/iqoKgWx2bT">https://t.co/iqoKgWx2bT</a> See infographic: <a href="https://t.co/ytBLTaDncK">pic.twitter.com/ytBLTaDncK</a></p>— Paul Kemp (@healthseeker) <a href="https://twitter.com/healthseeker/status/850380635533221888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2017</a></blockquote>

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The history of kratom misinformation has many causes. Despite experts like Johns Hopkins' Dr. Jack Henningfield, one of the world's foremost experts on addiction showing that kratom is no more addictive than coffee, a concerted effort to spread lies about this beneficial plant have been standard in the mainstream media. The war on kratom began when <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/kratom/comments/516s8z/former_head_of_fda_now_head_of_nps_speaks_out/">a group of consumer advocacy groups</a> expressed their concern over the safety of the plant which has been used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. It is noteworthy to mention that the heads of these advocacy groups are all tied to pharmaceutical companies that would stand to potentially lose millions if a safer, less addictive treatment for pain, anxiety, and addiction were available. Can you say "conflict of interest?"