Defending Kratom: A Community’s Fight Against Misinformation and Bans 2024
Defending Kratom: A Community's Fight Against Misinformation and Bans
Kratom often receives an unjust reputation
Let’s rewind to 2014, a pivotal year when the kratom industry began to flourish. At that time, you could find kratom in reputable places like GNC, Amazon, and various mom-and-pop wellness stores. So, why has kratom since been relegated to vape shops and convenience stores? The reasons are simple: poor marketing, profit-driven suppliers, and the simultaneous rise of spice products, which are synthetic substances that mimic illegal drugs. Back then, spice products dominated smoke shops and convenience stores, leading to a spike in hospital visits and alarming media stories about erratic behavior. Unfortunately, kratom was mistakenly lumped with these products by some disreputable suppliers who falsely marketed it as an opioid alternative. In reality, kratom was primarily used to alleviate aches and pains.
As the spice market declined and became illegal, those manufacturers aggressively promoted kratom, creating brands like the notorious OPMS, which continues to mar kratom’s reputation. This shift forced kratom into the supply chains previously dominated by spice, including gas stations and vape shops. In Illinois, as the spice market diminished, the kratom market expanded, causing newspapers to label it as “gas station drugs“—a term deeply resented by kratom consumers. The competition among major spice players became fierce, escalating to extreme measures like murder-for-hire plots, FBI raids, and jail sentences, all over a plant that had once been sold at GNC. This situation intensified scrutiny of kratom’s addictive potential, prompting legislative and FDA interest that nearly led to bans, though these were quickly overturned.
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A Fresh Look at Kratom
Fast forward to 2024, the kratom industry celebrates victories such as the Kratom Consumer Protection Act being adopted in several states and the proposal of a federal bill. This bill sets smart age limits, makes suppliers of the product register with government departments, holds manufacturers accountable for their practices, and limits the amount of specific alkaloids that deviate from the plant’s natural alkaloid composition. Despite these wins, the industry still grapples with its dubious origins. Competition is fierce among vendors vying to be seen as the most innovative and legitimate businesses in the market. The industry has become so saturated that companies are compelled to create a variety of consumption methods, including kratom drinks, candies, vapes, taffy, and more. While these developments mark progress, we must question the direction some products are taking, such as kratom-infused ‘rope nerds’, which appear to target children due to the flavoring and marketing to look like children’s candy—a concerning trend that could undermine the industry’s legitimacy.
Legislative and National Perspective
To be candid, most people were unaware of kratom until they began seeing signs everywhere, sparking a search for information. Readers searching for kratom on popular search engines often encounter biased news articles that recycle outdated labels like “gas station drug” or misconstrue kratom as merely another addictive substance—a narrative rooted in the FDA’s stance from 2014. The FDA argues that kratom is unsafe, as it is not part of the DSHEA (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act), a framework for dietary supplements. However, DSHEA is a dated supplement policy, and makes the acceptance of new supplements unattainable, a stance that aligns with their broader skepticism towards supplements in recent years. The fact is kratom is not part of DSHEA due to not being in circulation at the time of its creation which is skeptical if you dive into the history of kratom. However, they find themselves increasingly isolated in this view, opposed by organizations like the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which calls kratom safe, the National Health Service, which has rejected the FDA’s science about kratom multiple times, and the millions of reasonable kratom users.
What Can Citizens Do?
It’s simple: if you consume kratom, you need to speak up. Many people are hesitant to discuss kratom with family and friends, let alone legislators, primarily due to the negative press it receives. These days, people often turn to Google, where they encounter biased articles instead of comprehensive research. It’s important that resident’s comment on social media, news articles, and spread the word about why you consume kratom and what it helps you with on the internet and at government meetings. Without people speaking up, legislators will just push forward with bans. One suggestion to combat negative articles about kratom is to point to real science from NIDA or use the American Kratom Association website where data is posted. Local legislations are inclined to ban kratom due to its association with neon signs and its sale in vape shops, which may portray it as a drug. Yet, it’s worth noting that these same legislators have not moved to ban cigarettes, which are sold nationwide and are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths—a claim that cannot be made about kratom.
What Can Kratom Suppliers Do?
In Illinois, Top Extracts has been actively engaged in shaping local ordinances. Whenever a proposal to ban kratom appears on the agenda, we email every member of the panel, notify our local customers, and most importantly, we attend and speak at city council meetings. It is crucial for us to ensure that our customers and all consumers have access to pure, unadulterated kratom. We make it a priority to inform legislation about the Kratom Consumer Protection Act in other states and the one currently moving through legislation in Illinois. Over the years, suppliers have become complacent with advocacy or reliant on the American Kratom Association. Today, most vendors donate to the AKA so they can travel around and speak for them. It’s valuable to support organizations which offer knowledgeable and skilled representations; however, it’s equally important to participate directly and not to rely solely on a third party to speak for you. While they are knowledgeable and skilled at presenting, what they lack is community awareness and ownership within city limits. For example, in Des Plaines, IL, the AKA gave a well-polished response to a potential ban and thoroughly defended the right to keep kratom. However, the board asked to hear directly from local residents. In one instance, they even questioned if a resident speaking in favor of kratom was being paid, highlighting their desire for genuine local perspectives.
Impact of Local Advocacy
Our emails prompted three out of eleven people to show up and speak on behalf of kratom at these meetings. Customer testimonials are heartfelt and crucial in these discussions. Top Extracts played a pivotal role in Naperville, IL, leading to the age restriction of 21 for kratom products and helped put a pause on kratom bans in Des Plaines, IL. We urge every consumer and supplier of kratom across the country to adopt similar advocacy measures. Otherwise, cities may continue to ban kratom products based on misleading signs at smoke shops and biased news articles. Remember, most people are not familiar with what kratom is, and the best tool we can offer is education.
Effective Community Advocacy in Action
In recent years, we have witnessed the powerful impact of community involvement and informed advocacy in combating potential kratom bans. Notable examples include Naperville, IL in 2019 and Des Plaines, IL in 2024, where proposals to ban kratom arose, fueled by misconceptions about the substance and its association with delta products sold in vape shops.
Top Extracts, a leading kratom supplier in Illinois, played a pivotal role in these critical moments. As proposals surfaced, the company proactively reached out to its customer base through emails and social media, urging them to voice their experiences and concerns. This mobilization encouraged kratom users to attend city council meetings and express how kratom had positively impacted their lives.
On the day of each council meeting, a dozen local kratom users shared their personal stories, which were complemented by expert testimonies from herbal supplement specialists and representatives from the American Kratom Association. These experts presented compelling data on kratom’s safety profile and the regulatory standards established by the Kratom Consumer Protection Act.
The heartfelt testimonies from local residents, combined with the factual presentations by experts, effectively shifted the narrative. In both cities, the city councils, moved by the personal stories and reassured by the expert data, decided to delay the vote on the ban to further investigate the matter.
The successful outcomes in Naperville and Des Plaines underscore the significance of not only relying on national organizations but also engaging directly in local legislative processes. By showing up, speaking out, and educating both the public and policymakers, kratom supporters have demonstrated that they can significantly influence policy decisions. This ensures that the benefits of kratom continue to be recognized and available, highlighting the crucial role of education and active participation in safeguarding the future of kratom.
