Kratom, a natural plant derived from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, has garnered significant support for its potential and studied benefits, particularly in pain management and opioid addiction treatment.

In Virginia, the move to ban kratom would be a devastating loss to many individuals who rely on its therapeutic properties. Unlike synthetic opioid painkillers, kratom offers a natural alternative that many find effective for managing chronic pain, providing relief without the very high risk of addiction and overdose associated with prescription painkillers. Banning kratom would eliminate a valuable tool from the arsenal of those seeking to manage their pain in a safer, more natural way.

The evidence supporting the benefits of kratom strongly suggests that banning it in Virginia would be a misguided decision. Research from Johns Hopkins University reveals that kratom has significant therapeutic applications with relatively low abuse potential.

Their survey indicated that:

• A vast majority of users 91% utilize kratom to alleviate pain.
• A substantial percentage use it for anxiety (67%) and depression (65%).
• Importantly, 41% of users reported using kratom to manage opioid withdrawal, with over a third successfully staying off prescription opioids or heroin for more than a year? (Hopkins Medicine).

Additionally, findings published in Frontiers in Pharmacology emphasize kratom's effectiveness in pain management, opioid addiction treatment, and mental health support. The study underscores how kratom’s alkaloids, particularly mitragynine, and 7-hydroxymitragynine, interact beneficially with the body's enzymes and receptors, contributing to its therapeutic effects? (Frontiers). This aligns with traditional uses in Southeast Asia, where kratom has been safely employed for its stimulant and pain-relieving properties for decades? (Frontiers).

Let's take a step back from the scientific talk for a second.

• If Virginia's government bans kratom and its main alkaloids, it would mean many families with small businesses that offer kratom products would go out of business.
• It would mean hundreds of scientists, researchers, chemists, biochemists, etc, would no longer be able to do their work and research the alkaloids of this plant for future pharmaceutical medicine. These researchers would have to stop doing their difficult but needed work in fear of being prosecuted by the state.
• It would mean people with chronic pain would have to go back to addictive opioids, or even worse, make the mistake of going to street drugs to try to treat their pain.
• It would mean that people who are just trying to treat their chronic pain and or addiction with this highly studied, safe, and researched plant, would be ARRESTED AND/OR IMPRISONED, for just using a plant to help them live. 

Moreover, the scientific community is increasingly recognizing kratom's potential as a safer alternative to prescription opioids. Given the ongoing opioid crisis, denying access to a natural remedy that can aid in pain relief and addiction recovery could exacerbate public health issues. Unlike traditional opioids, kratom presents a significantly lower risk of addiction and an even lower risk of overdose? (Hopkins Medicine)?? (Frontiers)?.

The vast majority of evidence emphasizes that kratom should be regulated rather than banned to ensure safety and purity. This approach would allow Virginians to use the therapeutic properties of kratom while minimizing the potential risks. A ban would not only deprive individuals of a valuable health resource but also impede efforts to effectively address the opioid crisis.

Regulating kratom could mean passing laws such as mandating product labels with potential risks, mandating purity testing for companies, and banning the use of it for minors. It would also mean allowing these small businesses to thrive, people with chronic illnesses to continue their treatment using kratom, and allowing ongoing researchers to work and create, presenting a well-balanced and forward-thinking solution.

Thank you to anyone who reads this. To anyone in the Virginia government who is undecided, please, just read messages and emails from your constituents about kratom. They care about this issue so much because they know on a personal level how much this plant can help and save millions of lives.