I am writing concerning kratom and would like to share why it matters to me and encourage you to not criminalize it and those who incorporate it into their wellness plans  should it wrongly be placed as a Schedule 1 drug.

For years, I was suffering daily from unmitigated, untreatable chronic pain and mainstream medicine was at the end of options for me. This was ten years ago, and I was likely going to die if I hadn’t introduced kratom into my wellness regimen. 

I can attest that this particular herbal medicine can and does hold great value for society and people individually. It is able to be safe, more effective, and is less invasive than many other medical interventions. It can also serve to complement mainstream medicine and improve outcomes in conjunction as it does for me. 

Please protect this option for wellness that already helps so many people, including myself, and holds promise to those who someday may have use for it.