I am a 58-year-old father, husband, and small business owner. I have a very close and wonderful family with two high achieving college graduates. I own a very successful local business that employs 7 people full-time.

I also suffer from moderate depression and anxiety. I have used western medicine and traditional talk therapy over the years to manage my symptoms. Due to side-effects, harsh withdrawals, and a natural disposition toward naturopathic remedies I found that most pharmaceutic solutions are not a long-term solution. It was easier to just deal with the symptoms and the reduced quality of life.

I found Kratom 7 years ago, and it was a massive relief. Taken in small to moderate doses, it completely eliminated my symptoms. The mood enhancement allowed me to let go of the struggle and concentrate more on the important things in life like family and work. My business has thrived since I started taking Kratom and all those around me have benefited.

I DO NOT take this herb to get high, but rather to balance out a serious propensity toward an uncontrollable anxiety and depression. Taken once a day about 4-5 days a week is all I need. I am responsible in my dosages and take care to take a break every week as to not increase tolerance. When I stop I do not experience much withdrawal with the exception of some occasional sleeplessness.

The few times I took more than my usual dosage I have had the unpleasant experience of nausea. This passed after an hour or so and was a reminder that there is no way for me to overdo it.

While I feel that this herb should be regulated like any other substance for ingestion, I do not believe that it should be scheduled with other very hard drugs with no medical uses. To cut off the possibility for further research and force the use of the drug underground will have adverse effects on the possibly millions of individuals who are now using it responsibly. Disallow any adulteration of the leaf and make the minimum age to buy be 21.