Action Alert – Help Us Stop the DEA’s WAR on KRATOM

By Brandon Turbeville

ACTION ALERT!!!!!

The DEA has recently made an emergency decision to place Kratom on the Schedule I list of controlled substances.

Editor’s note: Here is everything you need to know about easy action steps to help stop the Kratom ban – just takes a few minutes, folks!

Find more information about the issue here:

• DEA Adds Kratom To Schedule I List Alongside Heroin
• Kratom Now Schedule 1: Cartel Sex Scandal Shamed DEA Suppresses Herb Imports
• Kratom Movement Draws Attention From Congress And More On The DEA’s Plan To Schedule 1 – Forbes

What You Can And Need To Do:

1.) Contact your Congressmen and Senators (locate them by using this link) and ask them to sign on to the Pocan/Salmon Dear Colleague Letter.”

Instructions as posted from the Botanical Education Alliance are as follows:

1. MOST IMPORTANT – Call your Congressmen TODAY! 

1) Find your representative with your zip code – http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ 

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2) Call (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Congressman’s office

3) Say – “Hi, my name is [your name] from [your state].

I would like you to pass the message on to [Your Congressman] that I would like him/her to sign on to the “Pocan/Salmon Dear Colleague Letter”. 

I use Kratom for [whatever you use it for] and it’s safe. It’s not a recreational drug. Hundreds of thousands of Americans do too. Research needs to be done before this natural herb is banned. Please have him/her sign the “Pocan/Salmon” Dear Colleague letter.” 

The Pocan/Salmon Dear Colleague letter is addressed to the DEA from members of Congress and asks for the DEA to slow down – this is our best shot at winning!

The text of the Pocan/Salmon Dear Colleague Letter can be found at this link.

Special Instructions For Vendors and Distributors!!!

(MOST IMPORTANT FOR VENDORS AND CONSUMERS)

Book an appointment with the local district office of your U.S. House Representative and your two U.S. Senators (every Federal Member of Congress has a local office in their home communities).

When you call the D.C. offices of your Representative and Senators, ask for the phone number of the local district office closest to you. Call the local office directly and request a meeting with the Member or a staff member.

Contact information for local district offices are listed on each Member’s website. You can also find your Representative’s website by entering your ZIP code here. You can find your Senators’ website by visiting here.

2.) Support the American Kratom Association in their upcoming legal battle for civil liberties and health freedom. www.AmericanKratom.org

From the AKA:

After talking with some high level D.C. political folks who put out some feelers for us today, I do have a glimmer of hope that we can challenge this. It’s a glimmer but it’s there, shining through all my pain and devastation. Are you ready to RAGE with us???

Please donate so that we can hire a well connected, experienced attorney in DEA matters, a federal lobbying firm AND a public relations firm. All 3 will be needed for us to have a chance. Plus all the great grassroots work that’s already been started. We will have a more formal plan of action together shortly.

Www.americankratom.org/donate. *Or if the site happens to be down (we’ve created problems for our host today due to the amount of traffic ?), PayPal to a[email protected]

AKA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Americankratomassociation/?fref=ts

3.) Sign This Petition

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/please-do-not-make-kratom-schedule-i-substance

4.) Join the March on the White House, Tuesday September 13!

The AKA is co-sponsoring a peaceful protest/march at the White House. Please attend and share the event with your friends and family.

Website: http://kratommarchdc.com/

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/KratomMarchDC/

5.) Contact the Relevant Authorities And Make Your Voice Heard:

Contact Your Congressperson (see letter template)
Find yours here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Contact Your Senator (see letter template)
Find yours here: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

Email the Assistant Secretary of Health

E-mail Karen B. DeSalvo, the Assistant Secretary of Health. E-mails and letters must be documented by all federal agencies for proof, phone calls are effective, but aren’t documented in the same way. Please send any information you have from doctors, nurses, researchers, or papers from PubMed.

Email: [email protected]

Call the DEA

The DEA is now asking people what their position is on this action.

Please call this number and leave a message stating yours! 202-353-1417

Also call 202-307-1000 and ask for Melvin Patterson. Press #4 to share your story.

These are all the committees that have jurisdiction over the DEA. House and Senate Judiciary being most important.Message all members!

House Judiciary https://judiciary.house.gov/ subcommittee/full-committee/

Senate Judiciary https://www.judiciary.senate. gov/about/members

House Energy and Commerce https://energycommerce.house. gov/about-ec/energy-commerce- committee-members

House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommitteehttp://appropriations.house. gov/about/members/ commercejusticescience.htm

Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommitteehttp://www.appropriations. senate.gov/subcommittees/ commerce-justice-science-and- related-agencies

House Oversight and Gov’t Reform Committee https://oversight.house.gov/ subcommittee/full-committee/

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/about

U.S. Department of Justice https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530-0001

•Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555

•Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000

Peter J. Kadzik

Assistant Attorney General

Office of Legislative Affairs ph: 202-514-2141

Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison ph: 202-514-3465

You can send a message to the Department of Justice HERE

Michael J Lewis,

Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration

8701 Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152; ph: 202-598–6812.

Also please contact the assistant secretary of

HHS, Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc

Acting Assistant Secretary for Health

ASH@hhsgov ph: 202-690-7694

Jim Esquea

Assistant Secretary for Legislation (ASL) ph: 202-690-7627

Kevin Griffis

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) ph: 202-690-7850

Colleen Barros

Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA)

HHS Office of the Secretary

email: [email protected]

ph: 202-690-7431

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Additional Contact options:

Correspondence to the Department, including the Attorney General, may be sent to:
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
The Department may be contacted by phone at the following:
•Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555
•Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000
Peter J. Kadzik
Assistant Attorney General
Contact
Office of Legislative Affairs
(202) 514-2141
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison
(202) 514-3465
Michael J Lewis, Office of
Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration; Mailing Address: 8701
Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia 22152; Telephone: (202) 598–6812.
also please contact the assistant secretary of HHS, Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc
Acting Assistant Secretary for Health
E-mail Address:
[email protected]
Phone Number:
(202) 690-7694
Jim Esquea
Assistant Secretary for Legislation (ASL)
Phone Number:
202-690-7627
Kevin Griffis
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
Phone Number:
202-690-7850
Colleen Barros
Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA)
HHS Office of the Secretary
E-mail Address:
[email protected]
Phone Number:
202-690-7431

Be sure to contact your U.S. House Representative and U.S. Senator and encourage them to pressure the DEA to back off its attack on Kratom.

6.) Share this AKA Fact Sheet

Share the AKA Fact Sheet: http://www.americankratom.org/aka_fact_sheet

Send these documents/link to journalist, legislators, law enforcement, friends and family so hopefully we can educate everybody including those higher up to better understand where Kratom stands as a medicinal herb.

7.) Join the #iamkratom photo campaign

Get all the up to the minute news here first https://www.facebook.com/groups/KeepKratomLegal/

8.) If you are a writer, please write relevant content regarding Kratom, Kratom freedom, etc. and post this material to your website or send it to Brandon Turbeville at [email protected]. Write to local newspapers and contact your local news media. Preferred angle for local outlets is that the DEA is attempting to ban a substance that reduces drug use and is incredibly safe.

9.) Act as a liason between pro-Kratom organizations, anti drug war organizations, and pro-legalization organizations as well as groups that simply support individual choice in order to create a united front against this latest move by the DEA.

Feel free to send your Action Slugs (reports on progress and activity) to [email protected].

LETTER TEMPLATE

*It’s important not to copy and paste, please use your own words

We need YOUR help to fight the DEA’s Intent to Schedule Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine, which would make Kratom (i.e., Mitragyna Speciosa) a controlled substance. Below is a letter template you can use to write to your Senator, your Congressperson, the Department of Justice, the Attorney General, the Office of Diversion, Drug Enforcement Administration or the (ASH) Acting Secretary for Health.

Dear Congressman ______ and Senator ________, etc. OR If writing to a committee member, for example, the House Judiciary Committee, use Honorary Committee Member (committees listed at the bottom)

Find your Senator: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

Find your Representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

My name is ________, I’m a __-year old _________ from _________ and I’m your constituent (when writing your Congressman and Senator).

I’d like to voice my opposition to the DEA’s Intent to Schedule the alkaloids Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine, which would make Kratom (Mitragynaspeciosa), a schedule 1 controlled substance with no medicinal value. This would put kratom, a plant helping millions of people suffering chronic and acute mental and physical conditions that is also safely easing the nation’s opiate epidemic problem naturally, on the same level as illegal drugs like heroin. It would also prevent further research which, to date, has shown kratom to be an effective painkiller that does not cause respiratory depression; the main cause of death from opiate overdose.

-How you came to use kratom….. (did you learn about it in a chronic pain support group, etc?)

-What ailments you suffer, what treatments haven’t worked (prescriptions, surgery, etc.), how long you’ve been dealing with your condition, how long you’ve been using kratom and how many/what medications you’ve been able to quit.

-What kratom means to you (has it given you your life back, have you gone back to work, can you play with your, exercise or travel, etc., something anecdotal about why kratom is important and should be available).

-Conclusion: Kratom is a safe alternative to pharmaceutical drugs with important medicinal uses and has changed my life. I’m asking you to please contact the DEA. Please send a letter or request an oversight hearing asking to delay this emergency action. I fear this action by the DEA will only lead to more tragic deaths of victims of the opiate epidemic, maybe even my own (if you think this may lead to a replace and illicit drug use). I know that my own quality of life as a productive member of society will not be the same without kratom.

If you have questions about kratom, please visit www.americankratom.org. Thank you for your time and service to the state.

Sincerely,

— Include your name, address and phone number.

Please be professional and polite, keeping it as short as possible.

Image by NB, By Manuel Jebauer (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons, via NB

This article (Action Alert – Help Us Stop the DEA’s WAR on KRATOM) was contributed by Brandon Turbeville of Brandonturbeville.com and can be republished under a Creative Commons license with  attribution to Brandon Turbeville and Natural Blaze.com.

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Brandon Turbeville – article archive here – is an author out of Florence, South Carolina. He is the author of six books, Codex Alimentarius — The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies,Five Sense Solutions and Dispatches From a Dissident, volume 1 and volume 2, The Road to Damascus: The Anglo-American Assault on Syria, and The Difference it Makes: 36 Reasons Why Hillary Clinton Should Never Be President. Turbeville has published over 600 articles dealing on a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville’s podcast Truth on The Tracks can be found every Monday night 9 pm EST at UCYTV. He is available for radio and TV interviews. Please contact activistpost (at) gmail.com.