As a 48yr old mother with 3 chronic pain conditions (arthritis, fibromyalgia & interstitial cystitis), I have successfully used Kratom for the past 5 yrs to manage pain, increase my quality of life & rebalance my own health & daily productivity. I made this empowered choice collaboratively with my GP and my family after years & years of suffering with mystery pain, medicinal trial & error and the cost of searching for better solutions to my health crisis. The freedom to be able to create the most suitable natural pain management program for myself has been absolutely invaluable to me & my family. We have all witnessed a huge difference from a time when I was once stuck in bed and constantly being “Guinea-pigged” by specialists on multiple FDA approved medications as opposed to when I decidedly took back the reigns of my health protocol and began a more natural, multi-modality approach to my healing & pain management that includes a moderate daily intake of Kratom. This blessed botanical has allowed me to travel again, to take long car rides again, to cook/clean/grocery shop and to show up in various ways in life for the people I love, even on the really hard pain days. 

I have to say that banning this substance based on the false information disseminated by the FDA or false claims made by special interest groups with no real life experience with the plant would be a mistake that would impact many chronic pain patients just like me who have already been harmed and suffered years of unnecessary pain from either irresponsible pain clinics or frightened Drs who flat out refused to address chronic pain issues. To finally have found something that truly works for me & my lifestyle has been a godsend, as it has been for the many people in this community with similar stories to mine. The injustices that the Chronic Pain Community has undergone in recent decades are in one word “criminal”. Please do not make criminals out of these same people who are only trying to find better ways of living with pain. We know better than anyone that nothing is a “cure all” but please allow us, the citizens of Virginia, and America at large, the freedom to have continued access to this beneficial botanical, to have better scientific research done on behalf of those who would like to utilize Mitre Speciosa as a future option of care & for regulations to be made for the safety of consumers within the Kratom industry by way of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. Thank you for your time & consideration in this matter that hits so very close to home for me and the multitudes who have found benefit & freedom from the responsible usage of this plant.