Double M Herbals | Kratom Forum

I know it's hard to guess but I wonder if the FDA would have been successful with a ban a couple of years ago if it weren't for the AKA?

Also I don't know if there are any other organizations that push back when the FDA starts making false statements about something...

Interesting question! The AKA was a lot less organized in 2016, but they did do a lot of rallying to get the ban postponed.

In my opinion, it was the collective efforts of the AKA, the vendors, and many if the online supporters from r/kratom and the Facebook groups that got the FDA's attention. At the time they said they never expected the backlash that they received. Lol. It was like a tsunami of people saying "DON'T MESS WITH OUR PLANT!"

I would imagine that tsunami of people will be a LOT larger this time around than it was 2 years ago...

Stimie wrote:I would imagine that tsunami of people will be a LOT larger this time around than it was 2 years ago...

Oh yeah, no doubt. Plus the AKA is kicking ass right now.

I do think even people who DON'T use kratom should be more concerned about their personal rights being taken away. This is not just a kratom issue, but a freedom issue.

That's exactly right "This is not just a kratom issue, but a freedom issue."should be the slogan for this petition.

The more I think about it the more I wonder if the AKA's existence really does interfere with the FDA's plans...

IF the AKA didn't exist, that's like saying if "people" didn't exist .. The AKA is a coalition of some fantastic people, led now by Dave Herman, Mac Haddow, and others .. but .. two years ago it was Susan Ash and friends, who started the movement .. with a vision to promote & defend kratom!

Take any LARGE group of people .. there will be some leaders, and visionaries .. There will also be detractors, and idiots who started a "rival group" the NKC last year, and almost blew it for kratom - when NKC went to Congress with their "Support SITSA" baloney. Fortunately, BEA and NKC have faded away and we can all support 1 organization - the AKC - American Kratom Association!

MetalMamaRocks wrote:

Stimie wrote: I do think even people who DON'T use kratom should be more concerned about their personal rights being taken away. This is not just a kratom issue, but a freedom issue.

True but people tend to generalize and compartmentalize a lot. Take banning guns for example. Many folks and organizations have no use for guns and see crime stats and knee jerk react and want guns banned. On the other hand this is an issue specifically stated in the constitution and if they can get people past that to ban weapons then banning other things and infringing that right then infringing others is a much lower bar.

People who don't use kratom and don't know anything about it see drug crisis, unknown drug, ban it for safety. That's one of the things the AKA does so well by calling out bogus statistics and "opinions masked as science" with facts and educating people and especially when they're focusing on lawmakers.

But people who don't use or know anyone who use kratom see it as a drug thing and not a personal freedom thing. It is a hard sell to make by focusing on personal freedom as the primary issue. It seems easier sometimes selling it as a non-toxic, low side effects alternative to big pharma high profit who cares if a few people lose their liver, sanity and/or life solutions.