As someone deeply committed to the well-being of our communities and families , I am in support of this petition because I believe in taking a firm stance against substances that have the potential to cause harm and endanger lives. The push to classify kratom as a Schedule 1 controlled substance is not just about legislation; it is about prioritizing public health and safety over the interests of those who profit from its sale. The evidence pointing to the risks and negative implications of kratom use especially among the most vulnerable populations, including children and those in socioeconomic distress cannot be ignored.

Promoting kratom as a harmless herbal supplement is both misleading and dangerous. The addiction potential, coupled with the lack of comprehensive studies on its long-term effects, demands our immediate attention and action. By supporting this classification, I am advocating for necessary research, regulation, and oversight to prevent abuse and protect future generations of Virginians from harm.

It's crucial that we listen to the voices of those who have witnessed the darker side of kratom firsthand--families torn apart by addiction, deaths and communities facing the consequences of widespread kratom availability. Their experiences underline the urgent need for this petition and for increased awareness and stricter regulations.

This is about more than just one substance; it's about setting a precedent for how we deal with emerging threats to public health. By supporting this petition, I stand with all who value safety and health over unregulated, potentially dangerous supplements. Let us unite in this cause for the greater good of the citizens of Virginia.

Advocating for Kratom's Schedule I classification emphasizes public health protection.  Key concerns include its potential for abuse, similarity to controlled substances, and the lack of FDA-approved research confirming safety and effectiveness.  Scheduling kratom would enhance regulatory control, ensuring any therapeutic claims are scientifically validated.  This approach aims to safeguard consumers from unproven treatments and align with efforts to maintain public health standards.

I am in support of this petition. Similar substances have been deemed appropriate for class 1 or 2 status. This petition will help assist community health safety measures.

I am in support of this petition. Similar substances have been deemed appropriate for class 1 or 2 status. This petition will help assist community health safety measures.

I support the initiative to classify Kratom as a Schedule 1 substance.

I support the classification of kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance. This is to protect public health due to its abuse potential, unregulated usage leading to potential adverse effects and lack of approved benefits. Scheduling kratom would prevent unverified therapeutic claims, promote research and enhance tighter regulatory control. 

The endorsement of this measure reflects our role as advocates for the health and safety of our community. We stand with the decision to regulate substances that pose significant health risks.  

I support the classification of kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance. This is to protect public health due to its abuse potential, unregulated usage leading to potential adverse effects and lack of approved benefits. Scheduling kratom would prevent unverified therapeutic claims, promote research and enhance tighter regulatory control. 

I support the classification of kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance. This is to protect public health due to its abuse potential, unregulated usage leading to potential adverse effects and lack of approved benefits. Scheduling kratom would prevent unverified therapeutic claims, promote research and enhance tighter regulatory control. 

Based on the definition of a Schedule I drug, "high abuse potential with no accepted medical use; medications within this schedule may not be prescribed, dispensed, or administered", the active alkaloids of Kratom, mitragynine (MG) and 7-hydroxymytragynine (7-HMG), meet qualifications to be categorized as such.  MG is the main lipophilic alkaloid present in Kratom. Its psychoactive metabolite, 7-HMG, has been assessed in preclinical models for its analgesic properties, while few studies have been conducted on the other alkaloids present in this product derived from a plant.  Information related to the safety profile of MG is limited and health hazards from case reports associated with the use of Kratom have been linked to deleterious effects.  In February 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public about the abuse potential of the active ingredients contained within Kratom and in unregulated Kratom-related products.  In the FDA's public health focus post, it has been stated that Kratom is "not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement" due to the fact that there is "inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury..."  Similar concerns have been issued in European countries like Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, and Romania which have categorized Kratom as an illegal drug/substance.  Rigorous high quality studies with meaningful outcome measures on the clinical efficacy aspects of Kratom and MG along with an assessment of any safety signals are necessary to be carried out in order to justify any potential therapeutic use and awarding a designation for this product outside of Schedule I drug status.  Please let this comment represent support for the measure to make Kratom a Schedule I drug.

Advocating for kratom's Schedule I classification emphasizes public health protection. Key concerns include its potential for abuse, similarity to controlled substances, and the lack of FDA-approved research confirming safety and effectiveness. Scheduling kratom would enhance regulatory control, ensuring any therapeutic claims are scientifically validated. This approach aims to safeguard consumers from unproven treatments and aligns with efforts to maintain public health standards.

The FDA has issued multiple warnings about the safety of kratom, including reports of deaths associated with its use. Let's support this petition to classify kratom as a schedule I controlled substance to prevent further tragedies

I am in support of the petition to classify Kratom as a Schedule 1 controlled substance.  Kratom has been linked to numerous overdose deaths.  We must classify it as a Schedule 1 controlled substance to protect our communities from its harmful effects.

Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists (VSHP) Letter of Support to Classify Kratom as Schedule 1 Controlled Substance 

Pharmacological studies show that the active compounds contained in Kratom, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine, are opioid agonists producing analgesic, sedative and stimulant effects. The potential for abuse of the alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine, is well documented due to the opioid and stimulant effects when ingested orally or smoked. Hallucinogenic and sedative effects are also documented at an increased dose. The National Institute for Drug Abuse reports mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine are increasingly being used by the public to self-treat drug withdrawal symptoms and cravings and to manage mental health problems, despite the FDA continuously ruling that these compounds have no therapeutic use. The potential for misuse and harm to the public has been so alarming, several states have banned the sale and distribution of Kratom.

The FDA recently studied Kratom using Public Health Assessment via Structural Evaluation (PHASE) methodology, a tool designed to evaluate pharmacologic data via a 3D computer model using chemical structure. Results confirmed that mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine bind strongly and activate the mu-opioid receptors. In a statement released by the FDA February 6, 2018, FDA Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb, MD reported “Based on the scientific information in the literature and further supported by our computational modeling and the reports of its adverse effects in humans, we feel confident in calling compounds found in Kratom, opioids.”

 While research has expanded in recent years, current scientific knowledge is limited due to few human mitragynine pharmacologic studies. Gaps exist in long term use safety, efficacy, and impact on public health.

 Kratom has a history of traditional use in Southeast Asia for medicinal and recreational purposes prior to gaining popularity in the United States. In 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that an estimated 1.7 million Americans, 12 years and older, used Kratom in a 12-month time frame. A DEA Scheduling Action published in 2016 documented the use of Kratom rising among heroin users for self-treatment of withdrawal symptoms and in patients with chronic pain. This scheduling action also stated that the recreational drug market is driving increased quantities of Kratom, of uncertain purity and quality, through various points of entry into the US.

 The duration and scope of Kratom abuse is increasing. Between 2014 and 2016, 55,000 kg of Kratom were encountered by law enforcement. On April 28, 2023, the FDA reported US Marshals seized 250,000 units of dietary supplements containing Kratom. Poison control center calls have also increased from 26 in 2010 to 2,312 in 2019 and the DEA has noted an increase in requests for mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine analysis in human toxicology panels. Concerns for abuse and an increase in adverse effects have driven other states to issue a complete ban on Kratom and the active compounds mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine, including Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. Currently, Virginia restricts the sale of Kratom to those aged 21 years and older and requires a warning label on all packages containing Kratom. In Virginia, Kratom is conveniently sold at smoke shops, gas stations, and online. Within a five-mile radius of the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, there are at least 15 smoke shops selling Kratom that were able to be easily identified. 

 Common adverse effects associated with mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine include irritability, tachycardia, nausea, drowsiness and hypertension and serious adverse effects include seizure, coma, hallucinations, liver failure and respiratory depression. A 2019 CDC report detected 152 deaths associated with Kratom in 27 states from July 2016 to December 2017, with 91 deaths listing Kratom as the only cause. Further review of the deaths showed that 80% of the decedents had a positive history of substance abuse and 90% had no evidence they were receiving medically supervised pain management. Lack of purity and quality of Kratom products continue to be a threat to public safety, as a 2018 CDC report linked Kratom to a Salmonella outbreak that sickened 199 across 41 states. The FDA also found that laboratory testing on Kratom products yielded the heavy metals, nickel, and lead, at levels unsafe for human consumption prompting a published warning that long term use could be associated with heavy metal poisoning, including anemia, kidney damage, and increased risk for certain cancers.

Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine are associated with dependence. A 2014 study on Kratom use, conducted by surveying 293 long term, regular users, resulted in greater than 50% developing severe dependence with physical withdrawal symptoms of muscle spasms, pain, insomnia, fever, and psychological withdrawal symptoms of restlessness, anger, sadness, and nervousness. Similarly, a 2024 study found that 66.7% of patients met the DSM-5 criteria for Kratom use disorder (≥2 symptoms), with withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, using more Kratom than intended, and cravings being the most common symptoms. Various studies have also shown the presence of neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants born to mothers who used Kratom during pregnancy. While methadone and buprenorphine, the opioid in Suboxone, are available to treat some of the withdrawal effects associated with Kratom, there are no known medications to alleviate the non-opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Due to the similarities in opioid-like side effects, Kratom has been questioned as being a “gateway” drug. There is currently limited literature demonstrating this. However, a case report describes a patient with Kratom tolerance who started consuming opioids to obtain Kratom-like effects, leading to opioid dependence.

Kratom’s alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine, are not immediate precursors of a substance already controlled under existing regulations. While the chemical composition of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine differs from opioids, the effects need to be considered in the scheduling process. Our communities are besieged by an ongoing opioid epidemic and a lot of resources and effort are being utilized to help combat this plague. The ease of Kratom’s availability in our communities help fuel the opioid-epidemic. The Virginia Society of Health System Pharmacists support the petition to make mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine Schedule I substances.

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Please consider making kratom a schedule I substance due to it's addiction potential and unregulated production. 

By signing this petition, I support the need for Kratom to be classified as a Schedule I drug. A Schedule I drug has high abuse potential with no accepted medical use. Currently Kratom has no use approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor is Kratom regulated by other governing agencies. The use of Kratom has proven to have negative impact with regards to public health including psychiatric, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems including a small number of deaths. We need to classify Kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance to ensure consumer protection. 

I support to classify Kratom as a schedule 1.

 Kratom acts like an opioid and has been linked to numerous overdose deaths. We must classify it as a Schedule I substance to protect our communities from its harmful effects. 

Kratom is a danger to the public.

Please protect the public and make Kratom a Schedule 1 substance. It has been linked to overdose deaths and should NOT be easily accessible like it is currently. Every gas station and vape shop around sells it and it is targeting our young population. The FDA is looking at the abuse potential and has determined it is NOT appropriate for use as a dietary supplement. Other countries have already classified it as an illegal drug/substance. Please protect the public and make Kratom a Schedule 1 substance. 

Virginia has a passed and governor has signed into law kratom consumer protection act. Making a harmless herb schedule 1 which means no medicinal value is is not the right decision. Virginia is one of 11 states in the United States to enact legislation on the sale of Kratom

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed SB 1108, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) into law after it passed Virginia’s House and Senate.

Kratom comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree in Indonesia, Thailand and other parts of Asia and is usually consumed by boiling the leaves to make tea or grinding them up to put in food. An herbal supplement, Kratom has been used for centuries safely.  The Virginia Kratom Consumer Protection Act  regulates the manufacture and distribution of kratom, ensures and enforces proper labeling and instills age limits on its use. This is sensible legislation that has gone  through rigorous legislative process and its sponsors have looked at the whole picture. 

I’ve seen Kratom help many people since I’ve seen it hit the market. I think it should remain available to the public 

I’ve seen Kratom help a lot of people. I believe with proper education and legislation in place ( which there already is ) Kratom can hopefully continue to help people around the world and in Virginia. 

The FDA has failed 3 times to schedule kratom: 2016, rejected by the DEA for insufficient evidence; 2018, rejected by HHS Asst. Sec. for Health for "embarrassingly poor evidence and data"; and in 2021 by the Expert Committee on Drug Dependence at the WHO for insufficient evidence.

In 2023, the FDA admitted to a Federal Judge they had not "determined if kratom is dangerous".

In 2024 the FDA conducted a dose finding study that proved kratom could be safety consumed, and found kratom appearted to be tolerated at all dose levels.

There is no scientific justification for scheduling of kratom.

Kratom should NOT be banned. It is helped me and my family out for many years. And being in the industry I’ve seen it helps so many other people with their personal problems and issues.  

I do not approve scheduling of this herbal supplement. Plain leaf is a safe alternative. As adults we should be able to chose what supplements that we wish to consume. Banning a substance is the wrong way to go about any regulation. Science does not lie. Research shows how safe this is. 

I do not support making kratom a schedule 1. 

In 2008. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease(L4-L5) and epilepsy. That began a whole slew of different kinds of pain pills, injections, doctors’ appointments and pharmacies. I noticed I started becoming addicted to pain pills after I lost my house and my job in 2009 due to my health issues. That and issues going on in my home life slammed me into a deep depression.

From then on I couldn’t function without a pill. I’d be so out of it for 2 weeks out of the month because my 30 day supply would only last me a couple of weeks. When I wasn’t pilled up, I stayed in bed and only did the bare minimum in life until my next doctor’s appointment. My pill cocktail was Oxycodone, MS Contin, Soma, Klonopin and fioricet.

I was fired from my pain management clinic in April 2019 because I didn’t show up for a per contract pill count. I knew I was 11 pills short so I just didn’t show up! From May to June my kid’s father came out here for my second daughter’s graduation. I had already gone through detox and I think he helped occupy my mind. My plan was once we dropped him off at the airport, I was going to start looking for another doctor.

Instead, I watched Leaf of Faith on June 25th 2019. I learned that Kr@tom is a Southeast Asian herb that many are using for pain relief and to treat addiction.

The very next day I went to the local smoke shop and bought some Kr@tom. And here I am today, sober-ish and staying sober-ish because of Kr@tom and w33d! Kr@tom not only brings my pain level from a 10 to a 3, it also stops the opioid cravings and elevates my mood along with the w33d.

I am a brand-new version of the old me. I am a thriving and functioning mother and member of society again. Plain leaf unadulterated Kr@tom and w33d are the tools I need for recovery . In all honesty, I am still amazed that I’m alive today.

If you think plain leaf unadulterated Kr@tom doesn’t work, then by all means ask me how I am a recovered addict today.

I and millions of others are living, breathing proof that Kr@tom works! Kr@tom is FREEDOM, Kr@tom is LIFE!

Kratom does not meet the criteria of the 8 factor analysis that determines whether a substance should be scheduled. Additionally, banning Kratom hurts the many Virginians who consume Kratom to manage their chronic pain. Many consumers have successfully withdrawn from harmful substances with the aid of Kratom. Kratom needs to be regulated. We have a Kratom Consumer Protection Act in Virginia that sets an age requirement in order to purchase Kratom. It includes provisions for labeling and manufacturing. 

Kratom has helped me tremendously with energy, motivation, and sleep issues due to stress. I’m lucky that I have not needed it for physical discomfort, but I’m thankful to have it on hand in case I ever need it. We as adults should have access to botanicals that improve our lives, and this 100% natural powder boosts my mood so that I can have meaningful, successful days when needed. I’ve been addicted to sugar, caffeine, and alcohol…but not Kratom. I benefit from it responsibly as with all things in life, and Kratom users know that “less is more”…it’s expensive and no one wants to use more than they need!

Kratom is a plant native to South East Asia that has been used for centuries. It is a safe plant and banning it will do more harm than good.

I was an opiate addict for 20 plus years, no matter how hard badly I tried to quit I couldn’t. In 2018 when my father passed I decided I was sick of that life and started taking kratom. I’ve been off opiates for almost 6 years thanks to the help of kratom, you have zero cravings, not even for alcohol. It has literally saved my life. Please do not make me a criminal just for a plant! It is in no way a comparison to any opiate! 

Thank you  ???? 

Jennifer Clifford 

I do not support this petition. Kratom should be regulated, not banned. People using kratom should not be seen as a criminal because they are not. Kratom has helped me get my life back together. I was a heroin addict for a long time. With the help of kratom, I am 5 years clean, I finished college, I have a decent job, and most of all - I am finally happy. 

I am a retired disabled person with chronic pain. Kratom makes it possible for me to do regular activities, including housework and the PT suggested by my doctors.

While I do not live in Virginia, I have friends and family members who live in Virginia. Criminalizing the possession of the legal medications I use would make it impossible for me to visit these people, or otherwise spend money in Virgina

No medication or dietary supplement is suitable for all patients, nor is every food to be found in supermarkets. There are several OTC medications I’ve been advised to avoid—including some that make an alternative approach to pain management necessary. Consumers have never had more access to neutral information about products that they may choose to take, or decide to forego even if they may help.

Individuals across the US should have the personal freedom to try this valuable resource if they choose to.

The decision to ban kratom is going to severely harm some of the states’ most desperate and vulnerable individuals who cannot get adequate pain management or are trying to stop the use of deadly street drugs, causing far more death and misery than its continued legality risks.

Placing it in C-I completely contradicts the available science on this medication, and is the reason the FDA has not met its legal burden to include it, and the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence determined it it not warrant critical review.

I find this action ableist and extremely offensive.

Definitely a bad move.  I have seen it help so many people

I am the Executive Director of The Where You’re At Foundation in Henrico, VA. We work directly to save the lives of people who use drugs and people with Substance Use Disorder. People use Kratom for a multitude of reasons ie depression, anxiety, pain management, & harm reduction. Scheduling Kratom will cause all of the people using it to search for relief from Illicit Substances. Even people who misuse Kratom are alive today because it is keeping them off of Heroin and Fentanyl. And as somebody who does not want to see MORE PEOPLE DIE, I have to implore you to NOT schedule Kratom. This would be a grave mistake and exacerbate the overdose crisis, not just for people with Substance Use Disorder, but people who use Kratom to find relief from legitimate health issues. The majority of people who use Kratom do NOT misuse it. It is not a dangerous Substance. And scheduling it will not keep off of it. It will just force them to turn to more deathly substances. Please help keep our loved ones safe by NOT scheduling Kratom, or you will literally have blood on your hands! 

I do not support this petition to add kratom. Please leave kratom alone!!

Kratom has great potential for assisting with chronic pain. Kratom used safely and responsibly has the potential to save lives without a doubt.

I do not support the kratom ban!!

Plain and simple, kratom saved my life and the lives of plenty of friends and loved ones. Access to it is a basic human right. 

There are multiple comments citing non existent studies about the dangers of Kratom.  Please reference the WHO committee who ruled last year that there is no evidence to support Kratom being harmful to society.  Kratom has saved countless lives while also changing them for the better.  Unless advocates for this legislation can show concrete proof of Kratom’s negative effects (they can’t, many have tried and justice has prevailed across the country), there is no grounds for a ban. 

Krstom has saved my life and continues to do so daily to keep me off using harder more dangerous substances like heroine etc keep up it plant legal and available here in the state of Virginia! ?? ?? 

 After waking up one day in 2005, paralyzed from my neck down, I was eventually diagnosed with transverse myelitis in 2006, becoming a chronic pain patient. For 13 years, I endured living in pain every day until I discovered kratom in May of 2019. I've been consuming it responsibly for nearly five years has granted me a second chance at life! Unlike any prescription pain medication I've been prescribed over the years, kratom has provided unparalleled relief. I no longer suffer every day; I can get out of bed and be a mom! I can go to school functions run errands, go to the store, and just live life without suffering. Though I regained mobility I still face many physical limitations, however I'm no longer confined by constant pain. Thanks to this amazing plant. Please don't schedule kratom in your state let the people have the freedom to choose how to manage their chronic pain. There are so many people suffering at it is this will only make it worse for the Virginia citizens who are relying on this plant to live a normal life. 

Protect Kratom. It's saving lives.

I have been a Kratom Consumer for 5 years, and it has helped my arthritis and mental health issues tremendously!!!I do believe it need’s regulated though…I do support the fact that people should have a choice to do a natural product versus prescription drugs and they have a right to do so…I Am a supporter of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, and I believe it should be considered before Criminalizing People for trying to help themselves…Thank You

Ezekiel 47:12 in the Bible says, "All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both banks of the river, and their leaves will not dry and die. The trees will have fruit every month, because the water for them comes from the Temple. The fruit from the trees will be used for food, and their leaves for medicine".

Kratom is medicine! Please don’t take away a plant that God provided. Thank you. 

Protect Kratom. It's saving lives.

Kratom is necessary for individuals that suffer from crippling conditions. The only reason for the push from pharmacies is due to the fact it takes away their business. Kratom is a natural supplement. 

I was a drinking-to-die alcoholic and Kratom helped me get my life back. I know for others it has helped with pain management, and for others it helps with a myriad of other issues. Please do not needlessly restrict this supplement that so many rely on. Doing so risks putting many people in recovery and in pain in danger of losing a strong support item in their arsenal to stay healthy.