Throughout my young adulthood, I struggled with severe OCD and depression. As the years passed by, I became a more and more severe alcoholic, which inevitably led to a variety of health and legal problems. I wanted to stop, but nothing seemed to assuage the emotional and mental issues that reemerged every time I tried. I obtained a prescription for a common antidepressant, but that only seemed to make my symptoms worse! I began to believe it was my destiny to drink almost constantly, forever.

Over 10 years ago, I happened to read an article about kratom and bought some out of curiosity. I never imagined anything would come of it. Much to my happy surprise, this ground leaf powder turned out not only to serve as an incalculably healthier alternative to liquor, but also improved the underlying conditions that led me to drink in the first place! A few teaspoons over the course of a day improved my whole outlook. I wasn't so painfully uncomfortable around people anymore; my once overwhelming anxiety backed off enough that I could get a good night's rest; I had something to look forward to at the end of the day that wasn't relentlessly destroying my life.

To this day, I can attest that kratom has been the only thing (other than the company of my cats) that has improved my mental and emotional health to a degree that I am able to put the bottle down. I have been taking it almost a third of my life, off and on, and have never suffered any health problems to speak of. It has truly worked wonders for me.

I happen to live in Utah, the first state to adopt the reasonable and effective Kratom Consumer Protection Act. The handful of little kratom shops scattered around town have yet to cause our society to collapse. The shops are friendly, positive places, evidence of a commonsense law that understands both kratom's vast potential and the need for effective regulation to ensure safe, quality products. The American Kratom Association, the primary backer of the KCPA, is keenly aware of the danger illegalization would pose to the public (not to mention the grave injustice it would mean for all the people kratom helps). The only way this benign, beneficial plant could be made dangerous is to be forced onto the black market. The idea of criminalizing citizens over kratom is simultaneously absurd and disgraceful.

The AKA has made wonderful progress with the KCPA. The states that have passed the law have taken an intelligent, informed action to ensure safety and justice for their citizens. As someone whom kratom has genuinely helped, I urge Virginia not to take a giant step backward and illegalize this amazing plant, which shows so much potential to help so many people. Instead, please continue to follow the wise lead of Utah and the other KCPA states in ensuring a bright, fair future for kratom!