The DEA Blinked on the Fight Against Kratom

Drug Policy Alliance - action@em.drugpolicy.org

Last month, you were one of tens of thousands to message Congress about the DEA’s absurd decision to place kratom, a medicinal plant used for millennia in Southeast Asia and currently used by millions in the U.S., on the list of Schedule I substances.

I must admit, even after we sent over 70,000 messages to Congress, and placed thousands of phone calls, I didn’t think the DEA would back down. They never have before.

Finally, in an unprecedented move, the DEA blinked. This morning, the DEA withdrew its plan http://bit.ly/DEA-Blinked to ban kratom from the federal register, and opened up kratom scheduling to public comment through December 1st.

It’s truly remarkable to see the DEA, an agency with a long track record of ignoring both science and public opinion, forced to reconsider their actions.

It was the advocacy of people like you that spurred 51 Representatives and almost a dozen Senators to ask the DEA to postpone its plan to ban kratom.

But the fight isn’t over. We only have until December 1st to submit public comments to the DEA, and if they think the public outcry has died down, they’ll try to place kratom in Schedule I again.

Comments can be submitted through regulations.gov https://www.regulations.gov/ ,  though as of this afternoon comments have yet to open. Check back soon, and we’ll be sure to email you again once they are.

Thanks for your help in this fight — together we’ve accomplished something unprecedented. If you can, please chip in $25 or more to help us continue dismantling the drug war, one law at a time. http://bit.ly/DPA-Donate

Sincerely,

Grant Smith
Deputy Director, National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance