We are writing you today to inform you of the natural herb Mitragyna Speciosa also known as “Kratom”, a tropical, deciduous evergreen tree in the coffee family (Rubiaceae) that is native to Southeast Asia. As an advocate for Kratom, we feel it is our great responsibility to assure its legality and to educate the people about the great impact Kratom has had as a 100% natural home remedy for millions of people’s ailments.

The need for advancement in numerous natural solutions to combat dangerous and high resistance drugs is critical. We are hoping for your support to keep Kratom legal in Florida. Kratom is largely affecting the need for opiates. We have great opposition from our opponents through the local and state legislatures looking to ban it. The banning of Kratom will have adverse effects on so many people. Kratom has touched many lives with its natural solutions to many ailments, including but not limited to PTSD, pain from accidents and debilitating diseases, anxiety and depression. People tell us every day that they are petrified of having to return to pharmaceuticals that had ruined their lives in the past. They will not have a choice if Kratom is banned. Banning Kratom would comparatively surmount to banning Ginseng. Read the fascinating research story by David DiSalvo in Forbes Magazine3. This article can give you a great understanding of the experience with Kratom consumption.

Kratom opponents have stories of governing bodies banning Kratom. These claims are disinformation. For example, the banning of Kratom in Thailand in 1940 was not due to the dangers of Kratom consumption; Kratom was banned because of the impact it made on their opium trade. Since that time, the addiction rates for opiates have risen tremendously. The Thailand government is considering reversing that ruling to help combat its tremendous and growing problem of opiate addiction. 1

Can Kratom be abused? Yes, any product used in excess can be abused. We abuse food on a regular basis, causing obesity. We abuse pharmaceuticals, tobacco, alcohol, sugar and many other things in life, but the freedom to choose is what makes our country great! These items listed above along with many others have caused addiction, extensive ailments and death. Two very important statistics that need to be highlighted: Kratom, in the thousands of years of consumption history, has caused no verifiable documented deaths or overdoses. Overdosing on Kratom will give you an upset stomach, much like eating too many cookies. We cannot find any data pointing to emergency rooms having to pump peoples’ stomachs in connection with overdoses from Kratom.

On October 22, 2014, during the Broward County Commissioners meeting, the Fort Lauderdale County Coroner informed the public that when the Coroner’s office cannot determine a cause of death and they suspect an overdose, the testing for Kratom is standard procedure. This shows that Kratom is tested for in overdoses and substantiates the statistic of Kratom never having caused death as accurate. Further, the Broward County Mayor stated in the same meeting that she, as a nurse, did not see any cases of Kratom overdose or complications in her career4 . The Coroner’s conclusion was that Kratom was clearly neither involved nor the cause of death. All of the commissioners, with the exception of Commissioner Jacobs who proposed the bill, decided that there was no inherent fear for delaying this session until the findings of Dr. McCurdy were published.

Kratom is not deadly. Why would we outlaw Kratom when so many of the choices that we have and indulge in are addictive, intoxicating and can be dangerous in larger quantities? Absent of responsible deaths, common sense says Kratom is a safe solution to addictive pharmaceuticals and numerous debilitating ailments. We are killing tens of thousands of people annually with pharmaceuticals; let’s give them another safe choice.

Kratom is not an opiate. It attaches to the opioid receptor site like many of the foods we enjoy, such as burgers, pizza and comfort foods alike, giving us that sense of satisfaction we rightfully have the choice to enjoy. Many confess that the natural herb prevents them from needing opiates and in many cases it has allowed people to recover from opiate abuse. Kratom provides them with pain relief, stress relief and many other solutions to problems that they do not want to turn to a pharmaceutical to solve. I speak to people with Parkinson’s disease, restless leg, opiate addiction from accidents and disasters, anxiety problems, MS and so many others.

Besides many home remedy consumers, there are many businesses in the State of Florida that rely greatly on the sales of Kratom. There are herbalists, retailers, distribution companies, kava bars and many more that will be villainized and put out of business. We are herbalists who take pride in our ability to solve problems without dangerous alternatives pressuring us everyday on TV, the radio and the doctor’s office. Please help us make our own health choices.

Doctor McCurdy, a scientist with the University of Mississippi, is now conducting a full and extensive study on Kratom. Due to the special interest, the fact that Ole Miss is funding it exclusively makes us confident in the findings. We are all waiting on the results and are willing to accept them. If this letter does not provide enough information to satisfy you, please join us in our wait to see Dr. McCurdy’s analytical findings prior to making a decision that will affect millions of lives. 2

Points of Interest:

Kratom has NOT been responsible for any deaths or overdoses.

Kratom is NOT anymore addictive than coffee or sugar.

Kratom is NOT a synthetic.

Kratom has been around for thousands of years.

Successes in our quest: