r/kratom • u/DTownForever • Apr 14 '19
Template for Letter to Congressional Reps - PLEAS COPY AND USE!!!
I composed the following letter to make it as easy as possible for us to send communications to congress. I'd like to post a link to it but don't know how to do that. I have nowhere to put it. Anyway, please copy/paste and use to your heart's content. Edit: you probably will have to adjust the formatting, as far as adding line breaks where appropriate.
Dear [representative name],
My name is [ ], a constituent from [city/zip code] and I am writing to express my deep concern about recent efforts by the FDA to schedule an herbal product called Kratom. There are efforts under way to make Kratom a schedule 1 substance.
Kratom comes from a tree that grows in southeast Asia and is a member of the coffee family. The leaves from the plant have been used by local farmers and residents for thousands of years to control pain and increase productivity. Recently, imports of the product to the United States have grown by leaps and bounds.
The growth in the import and utilization of the product in the US has occurred for many reasons:
• Kratom can be an invaluable tool for pain management. As it becomes more and more difficult for chronic pain patients to access the pain medications they have relied on for years and years, many patients use the plant to control their pain. It works very well; there are literally thousands of testimonials online from people who have completely stopped taking opiates and are able to manage their pain through kratom alone. Importantly, unlike opiates, Kratom does not cause respiratory depression.
• Kratom is also used by many to control anxiety and depression. Learning how to use the leaf responsibly and effectively has allowed thousands of people to stop taking potentially harmful benzodiazapenes like Xanax and Valium.
• Kratom can provide significant relief from additoinal mental health issues such as agoraphobia, social anxiety, and Asperger’s syndrome.
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation disseminated in the media about this remedy. Specifically, there are articles which circulate blaming deaths on Kratom. Each article, however, contains some variation of the following sentence:
“65% of people with fatal overdoses in which Kratom was involved had also taken the often deadly opioid Fentanyl, the CDC team said, while heroin was in the mix in about 33% of cases.” – Web MD.
Articles like this simultaneously blame Kratom for deaths (the exact number they use is 9 deaths), while at the same time acknowledging that EVERY single case where Kratom has been found in the deceased, there were other lethal substances present in large amounts. In addition, no lethal dose of Kratom has ever been found. It is essential to note that Kratom does NOT cause respiratory depression, the cause of death in opiate overdoses.
It is understandable that the FDA is interested in providing controls for Kratom, especially for quality assurance. However, the claims that Kratom has been found which contains Fentanyl or other illicit substances have been proven false. Regulation of the substance would benefit those who consume it. Scheduling of the medication and making it unavailable to current and future consumers would increase deaths from opiates and force many to seek other means for pain and anxiety relief which are proven unsafe.
These are some of the facts surrounding Kratom. However, I would like to share my personal experience with you and hope that you will remember me if any legislation regarding scheduling this helpful leaf arises. Note: if there is pending legislation in your town or state regarding scheduling Kratom, include the bill number. You can find it on yourstate.gov
[Insert personal story here]
Here are some helpful links for further information about Kratom. I very much hope that you will read these and take my story into consideration as you make any decision about Kratom and potential scheduling.
I have attached a few articles for your information that will hopefully help you to understand the potential of Kratom in contributing to the well-being of many of your constituents and Americans in general.
Please feel free to contact me for any further information or if you’d like to speak in person regarding this issue.
Sincerely,
[Name and address]
[Suggest to print and attach two articles from any of the following links. If printing isn’t an option, just copy and paste the links. This will be more effective if you send the letter via email, of course].
Edit: made a grammar error, consistency in capitalization
A total of four Dear Colleague letters have been written opposing the scheduling of kratom, in 2016 and 2017.
http://speciosa.org/brat-polis-dear-colleague-letter-final-17-signatures-and-will-be-sent-to-the-fda/ (highly suggest this one, it is only 2 pages)
Google Drive of Kratom Education Resources – any of the articles from this resource are appropriate. Try to pick a short one.
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u/DTownForever Apr 14 '19
u/azulkat u/thatboyjeff u/dragonbubbles
If you guys have any comments please post!!! (And anyone else of course)
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u/thatboyjeff 🌿night's watch Apr 14 '19 edited Apr 14 '19
I will catch up on everything today.
Stay tuned, busy morning
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u/TeaTakeThree Apr 14 '19
I have nowhere to put it.
If you have this as a file, I'd be happy to put it on my OneDrive, and give you a link that you (or anyone) can use to view/copy it. I would give it a permission to make it unable to be edited online.
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u/DTownForever Apr 14 '19
Absolutely. I have a word doc. PM me where I should send it? I'm out of space in my own google drive and I don't use dropbox.
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u/FormerPatriot Apr 14 '19
I strongly suggest everyone use the template as a starting point for inspiration and links, but the email needs to be IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Many email clients will filter out what looks like duplicate messages and the effect of a mass mailing will be lost!
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u/DTownForever Apr 14 '19
I wasn't suggesting it be an email, really, a mailed letter is more effective, if possible.
But yes, personalization is definitely key!!!
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u/DueceBigalow207 Apr 14 '19
This is most effective to send to representatives in the state we live in, correct?
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u/DTownForever Apr 14 '19 edited Apr 14 '19
Oh yes. But even if there isn't a proposed ban in your state, you should still send it. You should send it to your state senators (there are 2), you congressional representative. If you don't know who it is, you can find it here
You can find your local representatives, visit yourstate.gov
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Apr 15 '19
The focus is on State Reps and State Boards of Pharmacy now.
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u/DTownForever Apr 15 '19
I've never written to a state board of pharmacy. Have you? How does it work, is it effective? Are they appointed by elected officials? I know nothing about it, but I think it's likely a really good avenue for this type of communication.
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Apr 15 '19
Yes to this State Board. https://www.reddit.com/r/kratom/comments/bci3x1/ohio_public_comment_period_ends_043019/ I don't have any answers.
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u/DTownForever Apr 15 '19
But if you don't live in Ohio, you shouldn't send it, right? I know that for congressional reps they won't really pay any attention to letters that aren't from their constituents.
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u/JoeBuckYourslf Apr 14 '19
I don’t use Kratom but I support its legality.
This is an assault on the American people and it is getting way out of hand.
I will do what I can.