Hi there, my name is T.J., I am 31 years old. I have a degree in psychology at the University of Alaska, and I have studied substance abuse in great detail throughout my life. I grew up in Indiana. At 19 years old I was using heroin and other opioids daily. It started with pharmaceuticals and ended with IV street heroin use. This lasted for several years. I started drinking heavily to help fight off the opioid withdrawals when I would not have access to the drugs. This in turn caused me to become heavily addicted to whiskey, as well as on and off opioid use, throughout my early 20s. I began studying harm reduction and substance abuse treatment to help myself understand the issues I was facing, and I moved to Alaska to get a clean start. At 24 I found kratom.

Through the use of this plant, I have managed to go from being a barely functional alcoholic, to a college graduate and healthy member of society. Today, I simply drink a glass of this tea like it is my morning coffee, and I start my day. I do not use any other substances at all. I travel a lot as of recently, so the idea of states banning this plant affects me personally as well, even if my current state residence allows its use legally.

I ask on both a professional level, and a personal level to please keep this plant accessible for those who are in similar situations to what I was in. Using substances like buprenorphine or methadone can be incredibly difficult to get off of, and have access to, when you do not have insurance. Even if you have access to methadone, it is just another set of shackles in addiction. In my 7 plus years of using this plant daily, I have found there to be no other alternative that has been as helpful as drinking this plant. If you ban this, there will be many individuals who are in serious pain, or facing extreme addiction issues, that will no longer have the help that this plant offers. It really pains me to see fear being put ahead of the welfare of individuals who suffer. I can assure you that this tea leaf is substantially safer and less addictive than any of the substances you can pick up at your local liquor store. It legitimately saved my life.

Thank you for your time,

Thomas Paige-Maciejko