Kristin Jacobs: Kratom lobby 'just like Hitler'

Colby

January 9, 2017 at 6:31 pm

Kratom is healthy, but they would rather have people addicted to prescription pills

Mike Downs
January 9, 2017 at 9:10 pm

absolutely right
- Brian H
  January 10, 2017 at 7:50 am
  
  What’s absolutely right
Celeste Claymore
January 9, 2017 at 11:18 pm

I’ve been using kratom for over a year noe. I had no idea it was so widespread until the DEA tried to ban it. I’ve had chronic pain for sale very long time due to multiple surgeries . I’ve had to fight abuse, get off everything and learn to deal with the pain. A month and half ago I fell and hurt my back. Went to ER , had xrays snd they said nothing broken, just old age changes. After a month I went back a second time for spasms so severe I couldn’t bear it. Both times I was given something for pain but not for long. Went to PCP and she wold NOT give anything else for pain. She did order MRI last Friday. I got through results today…2 compression fractures of my lumbar spine With one bulging disc that’s pressing on a nerve. A month and a 1/2 I’ve been keeping on doing what I had to do daily, in between laying in bed for hours on heating pad. The only thing I’ve had for pain relief has been Kratom. I would have never gotten through the pain and done anything. And my PCP still didn’t call in prescription meds now!KEEP KRATOM LEGAL
eryan sandy
January 9, 2017 at 11:45 pm

I have as much as 200 kilograms of powder kratom, are you interested?
- Kim huster
  January 10, 2017 at 11:57 am
  
  Yes
- Marly
  January 10, 2017 at 9:56 pm
  
  yes, very
Desirae
January 10, 2017 at 9:37 am

I completely agree!! This girl is an idiot.
Lucas Mcelroy
January 10, 2017 at 5:36 pm

Who ever wrote this article is an ignorant fool. I hope they die
- Ken
  January 11, 2017 at 1:07 pm
  
  The person that wrote this article is just reporting what one politician said. Your anger is misdirected.
Andrew Stanford
January 10, 2017 at 6:50 pm

Correct. Why must people try to save those that do not need saving. Mind your business. You live your life, I won’t bitch at you for drinking your beer and wine and cramming fistfuls of prescribed poison into your pie hole, and you don’t tell me which NATURAL PLANT I can eat, smoke, ferment or distill. The ignorant sheep of this country have no business making decisions that limit our freedoms. Period.
- John Vano
  January 12, 2017 at 10:00 am
  
  Well said Andrew! This truly is the core of the issue! Americans are very tired (and growing even more tired) of the nanny state.
- Reginald Pierce
  January 13, 2017 at 6:03 pm
  
  The worst 9 word sentence in America today: “I’m from the government… and I’m here to help!” That’s Hitler.. That’s Stalinism.. We showed the government in November that were sick of their ignorance, their lies, and their meddling arrogance.. this particular government official has absolutely no idea what it feels like to be in pain.. what it feels like to be treated as a pariah because of it.. I’ve NEVER used any illegal drugs in my life.. and although I suffer daily with unending chronic pancreatitis.. I refuse to do so.. my PCP is a friend.. he will give me narcotics if I asked for them.. but as long as I have Kratom.. I do not and will not take them or need them…. NO ONE HAS EVER DIED FROM A KRATOM OVERDOSE!! That’s an outright lie! All 15 or 20 deaths contributed to THIS DRUG.. have come from COMBINATIONS!! .. There has ALWAYS BEEN another drug in the overdose deaths… If you take too much kratom,, you’ll puke your guts out.. can you get “addicted” to it? I’m ADDICTED to blood pressure meds and pancreatic enzyme meds… if I stop either one.. I’ll die.. there are always.. ALWAYS people who will abuse medications.. look at OTC cough syrup with Dextromephoram in it… you can OD ON TYLENOL!!! Get out of my life you worthless, uninformed do gooders! YOU DONT KNOW ME.. AND YOU SURE AS HECK DONT KNOW PAIN!!
- Andrea Davis
  January 23, 2017 at 3:24 am
  
  Exactly!
Priscilla
January 10, 2017 at 8:11 pm

Kratom is far from healthy. My husband was not a addict. He actually wanted to take the product instead of pain meds he was prescribed. And after a month he went into cardiac arrest. It will not show up on a tox screen but we know it is what caused it. He is lucky to be a live. And others have died from it.
- Andrew Turner
  January 11, 2017 at 6:31 am
  
  You yourself said he was far from health yet you have laid blame on a plant without exact proof for his cardiac arrest. Is it possible? Sure he could be one of a very few that has a reaction in some way. You didn’t explain how much/how often your husband was taking Kratom, where he got it from, was it adultered in some way, etc though. You would think that if this actually happened you would be getting all your I formation together and submitting that to those researching Kratom so you can show it has some risks, have you done that?
- Aprile
  January 11, 2017 at 8:56 am
  
  Priscilla you are so very wrong. See what drugs your husband’s in his system kratom DID NOT cause a heart attack. It’s like saying you can over dose on marijuana. It’s IMPOSSIBLE TO OVER DOSE OR DIE FROM KRATOM. I’ve Been taking it for 5 years. The ignorance of the masses …. tkilling me this lady from Florida is prob 90 and won’t listen to reason. She’s stuck in her own time and still Thinks marijuana is a bad drug too. Leave me alone if I want to drink the ; lol aid then let me
  - Damian
    January 12, 2017 at 1:50 am
    
    The first time I tried Kratom, I vomited and then fell asleep.
    There’s another substance that does that same thing. I believe is caped heroin.
    You can most certainly take too much Kratom. You shouldn’t spread misinformation.
    Now,having said that, I found the right dosage,which was a lot lower,and didn’t have a problem the other 3 times. It’s an interesting experience. I think it might be a good thing for people trying to quit opiates.
    
    The problem here drums to be an excessive amount of misinformation on both sides of the issue. That doesn’t bode well for the pro- crowd
    - Heather G
      January 12, 2017 at 6:20 pm
      
      Damian – Kratom is not like heroin. It does not cause respiratory depression and is much milder. EVERY TIME you try to overdose on Kratom, you WILL throw up. Because it is self-limiting so that overdose cannot occur. Addiction scientists like Dr. Jack Henningfield of John Hopkins University and his colleagues at Pinney Associates show one of the many ways kratom is different than heroin. It does not cause death as is shown in the following statement:
      
      ” To date, in the US, there have been no confirmed reports of death that can be considered “causatively” due to kratom overdose.” (Pinney Associates 8-factor analysis presented to the DEA on 12/14/2016)
      
      Furthermore, Dr. Jack Henningfield has said that kratom is an herb with “a remarkable record of safety and low abuse risk,” with “little evidence of dependence or serious adverse events and no documented kratom-caused overdose deaths.”
      
      THIS HERB IS NOT LIKE HEROIN!
    - Ash
      January 13, 2017 at 5:19 pm
      
      The first time I drank too much alcohol i vomited and fell asleep too. Too much of anything is not good for you but to compare it to heroin isn’t good. Even a small dose of heroin isn’t good for you. A small dose of kratom is perfectly fine and healthy. A glass of wine a day is good for the heart. Don’t overindulge and don’t compare this natural plant to heroin.
- Kendra
  January 12, 2017 at 7:51 am
  
  It is never possible to know how a particular substance will interact with a person’s system, but it is highly unlikely that your husband’s cardiac arrest had anything to do with kratom. Kratom has particularly mild effects on hypertension and cardiac functioning. In other words, while one may see a slight rise and/or decrease in heart rate while using kratom, it’s a very minor effect. I’m sure, since you must be quite concerned about convincing others of what you think is a dangerous substance, that you would be willing to explain the other meds your husband was using and his health conditions. Additionally, no, “others have died from it” is a wholly unsubstantiated claim. Even the DEA walked back its claim of deaths. When you say “we know it is what caused it,” are you talking about medical professionals’ judgment, or your hunches? If your husband was taking it, why wouldn’t you just tell the doctors instead of relying on tox screens?
- Shawn
  January 12, 2017 at 3:05 pm
  
  No one has ever died from taking Kratom alone. You are misinformed, and spreading lies and ignorance.
  - Andrea Davis
    January 23, 2017 at 3:27 am
    
    Jacobs is an idiot! Shaking hands and glassy eyes? That’s insane. Nearly pain free, able to get out of bed and think straight is a bad thing? She needs a bit of chronic pain to sew how she likes it. Someone who saw how bad I was suffering gave me some because I sat in a chair all day crying and dragging myself around on crutches. Now I can walk with a cane. How is that hurting anyone?
- Heather G
  January 12, 2017 at 6:39 pm
  
  Kratom DOES show on a toxicology report, Priscilla…. You’re wrong about that. As for your husband having a cardiac arrest, based on evidence we have, that seems unlikely. Here is a statement to consider from an addiction scientist and professor at John Hopkins University :
  
  Kratom has “a remarkable record of safety and low abuse risk for any substance used by millions of Americans”
  
  Kratom has been around for thousands of years and has been used by southeast asian people for centuries. It has been in the U.S. for decades. Where are all the deaths? There are none… Here’s a quote on that:
  
  ” To date, in the US, there have been no confirmed reports of death that can be considered “causatively” due to kratom overdose.” (Pinney Associates in the 8-factor analysis sent to the DEA in December 2016)
- Atrain
  January 13, 2017 at 2:39 am
  
  Youre an idiot. Your husband is definitely mixing it with something. There is not 1 single case anywhere that said kratom is the direct cause of death. Your husband probably was doing coke or other meds and your stupid and naive. Get some sense dipshit and look up the facts
- Lorelei A. Schufletowski
  January 13, 2017 at 8:35 am
  
  You are in denial. There is no possibility that Kratom could cause a heart attack. Your Husband was taking something else. He doesn’t want you to know about it. He is hiding it from you.
- Ian
  January 14, 2017 at 11:22 pm
  
  You are wrong. Please stop consuming Kratom because you are wasting it. It is probably hard to feel Kratom while you’re doing cocaine
- Keely
  January 17, 2017 at 3:43 pm
  
  Kratom is stigmatized largely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time–people who use other authentically dangerous drugs do turn to it for help and relief; chances are he had something else in his system and whatever it was was a secret he was keeping from you.
- Ian Anderson
  January 23, 2017 at 5:31 am
  
  You’re NOT fooling anyone! Go shill for Big Pharma somewhere else!
Mike
January 10, 2017 at 10:28 pm

Kratom is mild yet effective. It makes my life better. Government needs to mind there business and stop running people’s lives over plants.
Silvertone
January 14, 2017 at 11:23 am

Kristin Jacobs will be out of a job come election time. We are through with your “just like Hitler” tactics. You’re the Nazi, Kristin! And don’t think for one second that you aren’t being paid off by big pharma. Kristin Jacobs is a lying Nazi! No one has died from Kratom use. NO ONE.
KQuin
January 14, 2017 at 1:02 pm

I have been using Kratom One Year for RA and Lupus pain so much better than opiates. This lady doesn’t understand pharmacology. I and millions of others will have to go back to opiates if you remove the choice of kratom. Think about this methadone etc clinics and opiates could go out of business if people use kratom to get rid of addiction and dependence! But you are curtailing any research with your approach. Consider what happened to marijuana years ago. Big Pharma was able to do only a limited study to isolate why cancer ppl get relief from nausea. They made Marinol a complete failure. You are trying to do the same with kratom. You are so transparent you are in the hands of Big Pharma. Please don’t take away the only substance that helps many ailments. The time has come to study this not remove it and it may not be just the 2 mentioned ingredients that helps ppl. That’s what they thought about marijuana when they made marinol and it wasn’t just that one ingredient that helped the chemos symptoms of nausea. Why would you want to keep our vets away from a substance from their own accounts that help them with anxiety, PTSD, depression, and chronic pain. You want them addicted to pain killers, depression drugs, bentos or not helping them at all.!!! You are a heartless woman who doesn’t understand. Why don’t u try reading the Forbes article in which the reporter tried kratom. Why don’t you drink One teaspoon of kratom and you will see it works like the coffee plant it comes from. There is no psycho changes like marijuana only a mild feeling of pain relief.
KQuin
January 14, 2017 at 1:50 pm

I’ve worked in the ER for 30 years in different cities and I’ve never seen anyone with a problem with Kratom. Now opiates, depression meds, benzos and severe withdrawal sickness cause pts to come to the ER. If there is an herbal substance that can help ppl with these problems why not try and knock down the barriers to research?. Jacobs, a democrat, love big government controlling our lives. She is not a scientist and has the facts all wrong! Maybe she’s like the physician in Ark.who owns the methadone clinics and are worried about the decrease in business if kratom were legal there! What’s next kava kava, St Johns wort, MSN, camomile tea , melatonin or anything else that make your life better. STOP with the government control of our lives The DEA is trying to justify their jobs and get a whole group of law abiding citizens arrested. Jacobs needs to go on the Pain network.com, and American Kratom Ass. Read the letter written by them to the DEA. She is totally uninformed and needs t educate herself before making these uneducated statements!

Marie Molnar

January 9, 2017 at 6:39 pm

Will someone please inform Ms. Jacobs that the American Kratom Association is a non-profit. http://www.americankratom.org/about

Clay
January 10, 2017 at 6:30 am

That is some of the craziest phyco babble I have ever heard. Nothing, she can find nothing to back her ignorant comments. What is wrong with people? Has money screwed up their perception of reality permanently?
- Moon Willow
  January 10, 2017 at 4:51 pm
  
  Look @ her description of an addict : it’s the Marijuana circa 1940/1950…she just hasn’t specified a particular group. That’s why former addicts care about what happens in Florida & kratom. She’s either misinformed or is in with Big Pharma, who patented those 2 specific ingredients just recently???
Cheryl Porreca
January 10, 2017 at 10:19 am

Also tell the misinformed woman how many people DIE from opiod addiction. She must be related to someone in the big pharma.

Mark

January 9, 2017 at 6:40 pm

The American Kratom association is a. on-profit.. why would they lose money? Here is another example of fake news.

R
January 10, 2017 at 1:38 am

This isn’t fake news. Nothing fake about it. She’s just either an idiot, corrupt, or brainwashed.

Michelle Meadows

January 9, 2017 at 6:42 pm

Ms. Jacobs, perhaps you should be getting advised on this issue by people who actually comprehend science and statistics. The only people lying here are you and those who espouse your erroneous views. Kratom gave me my life back. I strongly suggest you spend your time working to solve actual issues, as your witch hunt not only gives democrats a bad name, but may also cost thousands of people their sobriety or their lives.

Amy Coyle
January 10, 2017 at 11:51 am

Well said, Michelle!
Audrey Longshore
January 11, 2017 at 1:04 am

Well said, Michelle!

Josh

January 9, 2017 at 6:43 pm

This lady is a joke! She keeps failing to pass her ajenda, and keeps doing it over and over! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result! She should focus on real issues Mike, IDK heroine! How about all the phamacutial medications that kill countless lives each day? Nope one see that happen. But a plant with strong all be it anectdotale evidence that it improves peoples lives. Oh no we cant have that. Shame on her!

David Kob

January 9, 2017 at 6:44 pm

Zero more are going to die, because zero people have ever died from a kratom overdose. But it’s saved thousands of lives, so if you die on the sword for this bill, you will be the first kratom-associated death, Rep. Jacobs.

Celeste Claymore
January 9, 2017 at 11:01 pm

Well said! NO one had died of an overdose using kratom only. Herbal remedies have been searched out and used since cave man times
Amy Coyle
January 10, 2017 at 11:52 am

Ahaha Jacob! That’s so true!
Andrew Stanford
January 10, 2017 at 6:53 pm

Awesome comment. Thank you!
Priscilla
January 10, 2017 at 8:13 pm

People have died .Do some research.
They went into cradiac arrest.
- Tobu
  January 11, 2017 at 9:29 pm
  
  Pricilla, your ignorance amazes me. Do some real research, rather than following blindly, what you’re heard from 2nd and 3rd parties. Your behavior and statements make you appear less than intelligent. Peace
- Dudeson
  January 13, 2017 at 8:51 pm
  
  Priscilla, please show me this “research” you have to help educate me. If I’ve been putting something harmful in to my body for 18 months I’d like to know more about it.
  As a chronic migraine sufferer who has seen at least 20 doctors/neurologists and been on every migraine med and strong pain killers (from Vicodin, to Oxy, to Fentanyl), Kratom has absolutely changed my life. I’ve been off all other medication for 18 months and have never felt better. I have regained my life and ability to function in this world. This PLANT has been used for thousands of years and is safer than Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
  If you want to talk statics, look up the poison control call records and see how many people call about aspirin, cleaning products or other household items, and then compare that to the only 600 in 5 years about Kratom.
  Finally, I’m sorry to hear about your husband, but what other medication was he taking? Do any of those have the side effect of cardiac arrest (check the novel of side effects included with most prescription drugs these days).
  Please educate yourself before trying to educate others

Jennifer Batchelor

January 9, 2017 at 6:45 pm

First of all, Ms. Jacobs needs to get her ‘facts’ straight before throwing stones. Kratom is NOT an opiate. An opiate is derived from opium. Completely separate and different plant. Kratom is in the coffee family, period. Secondly, kratom and Kane are, again, completely different plants. Thirdly, the only people that profit from a ban on kratom are the pharmaceutical industry and the rehab industry. Which is in her pocket? Glassy eyed and addicted?? This is insanity! What group of addicts have EVER had the capacity or wherewithal to fight such injustice?? Thank you for reporting her inaccuracies. But don’t believe her lies.

Justin Dodge

January 9, 2017 at 6:45 pm

Jacobs is out of her mind. Delusional comes to mind! First off kratom is not an opiate. People do not get the same effects from kratom as they do addictive pharmaceuticals. I honestly cannot believe she believes the lies coming from her mouth. Kratom saves people from dangerous drugs and allows them to be productive again. I guess that’s a bad thing in her mind. Absolutely ridiculous. She needs to educate herself before she ends up making a fool of herself more than she already has.

Celeste Claymore
January 9, 2017 at 11:02 pm

True that
Toby
January 11, 2017 at 9:37 pm

It’s too late for Jacobs to “not make a fool of herself”, Justin. She’s proven for 3yrs that she’s a foolish person. What sort of FL Representative would continue to beat a dead horse, after the people have spoken. And they’ve spoken many times. Jacobs doesn’t get it. This is her personal vendetta. She can’t let it go. She was beaten soundly on three occasions, yet she continues her quest, regardless of what the “people” want. Jacobs is a “court jester”.

Jon Kleesen

January 9, 2017 at 6:48 pm

HAHA I really hope no one falls for this.

I don’t want to release any skeletons from Kristin’s closet, but believe me when I say she is doing this for personal reasons that are not in the peoples’ best interest. I’m going to stop there because I don’t want to give involved, but all I can say is I wouldn’t believe a single word she says.

Kendra
January 10, 2017 at 2:50 pm

Would you please email me at [email protected]? I’m a lawyer, trying to figure out what is motivating Rep. Jacobs, because this doesn’t make any sense. I assure you that I will not get you personally involved or reveal your identity.

Joshua Rosenblatt

January 9, 2017 at 6:52 pm

How many more are going to die? Wow! Tell me Ms Jacobs, just how many HAVE died??? this lady is simply loony tunes – or bought and paid for by Big Pharmaceuticals.

Jon Kleesen

January 9, 2017 at 6:53 pm

I don’t take kratom. Never have needed it before, but wouldn’t hesitate to give it a shot if I was in pain.

Having said that, there are no recorded deaths from just kratom alone, so the stat for “How many more are going to die?” is currently at zero. Research kratom and you’ll see for yourself. Like I said, I have no use for this stuff, but I know someone who needs it for their pain and their life is 1000x better now. Knowing my friend’s story, I decided to do my own research and kratom is quite safe when used responsibly.

It’s too bad Kristin needs to lie to “win” this fight. Hopefully they shoot it down for a third time.

Nick
January 9, 2017 at 9:54 pm

Too bad kratom doesn’t cure crazy…

John Gerbitz

January 9, 2017 at 6:59 pm

What a ridiculous hypocrite of a person. Sorry, but if your looking for sympathy, Ms Jacobs it’s not happening… My sympathy goes to the scores of people who are surviving various lethal addictions simply because this benificial herb is available to them. The safe and effective relief of so many people’s agony and pain should not be cast aside because your lies. Go ahead and fall on your sword. W
e know something you don’t seem to know. Kratom saves lives. You don’t.

Sarah

January 9, 2017 at 6:59 pm

There’s been one documented death that only kratom was found in their system. ONE. Why doesn’t she look at all the legal prescription drugs killing millions of people a year. Not the plant that nobody dies from. This is an absolutely ridiculous article. And this woman is absolutely ridiculous.

Tim Oakley

January 9, 2017 at 7:07 pm

Wow. Just wow. Just ask Jacobs to show you the medical report on that poor baby born addicted to kratom. She’s been asked before. It doesn’t exist. I could respect the woman a little more in her valiant fight to ‘save lives’ if she didn’t seem so willing to build her argument on a series of half truths and lies.

Billy
January 10, 2017 at 8:07 am

The article actually said born addicted to kava. I think that is pretty neat. It’s like a mother smoking marijuana through her pregnancy and her baby being born addicted to pizza.
- Kris
  January 10, 2017 at 11:52 am
  
  Lmao! I was wondering if I was the only one who noticed that?
  
  Ms. Jacobs is counting on the ignorance of others, or maybe she is just ignorant. But Kratom does so much more good than harm. There are people out there who can get addicted to / or abuse anythung even benedryl. I’m sure Kratom is no different. But I personally know several of Kratom success stories, so I know that mine alone isn’t a fluke.
  
  The reason this will end her career is because she is lieing. And that will either work or expose her for the loon she is. Let’s make sure it doesn’t work.
- Kendra
  January 10, 2017 at 2:57 pm
  
  I laughed heartily at this…

Michael Gore

January 9, 2017 at 7:14 pm

No-one has ever died of kratom and the Florida Department of Health themselves have concluded ‘no pervasive health issues have been attributed to the ingestion of Kratom products in Florida.’ At this point Jacobs is just trolling and trying to trigger good people, on a subject she clearly knows nothing about. Shameful.

Jordan

January 9, 2017 at 7:16 pm

How about you focus on a drug like u-47700.
Somthing thats actually an issue! And the AKA is a non profit organazation! This whole issue is completly absured when u compare the number of poison controll calls for kratom in a 5 year period to somthing like laundry pods. 600 calls in 5 years for kratom and thats an issue? More calls are made in a month for laundry pods than calls for kratom in 5 years! And out of all the people are benefiting from kratom, the DEA said theres what 5 potential deaths? Where other substances such as heroin, that have been proven to be deadly were also found in the individuals system. occam’s razor says the simplest explanation is usually the truth. In those deaths the simplest explanation would be that the other substances which were also in their system caused the deaths.

Sher Bennett

January 9, 2017 at 7:17 pm

This is absolutely reprehensible. Jacobs is portraying kratom as equivalent to heroin when all available studies show that it isn’t an opiate, and it actually helps people to get off of heroin rather than ruining their lives. Kratom does not create addicts, it helps people. It helps people with chronic pain too, regular people with jobs, families, productive members of society, not slobbering addicts shuffling into gas stations for a fix as she so colorfully ficitionalizes. Everything she says about kratom is a lie, and more people will become entrapped in the opiate web if she has her way and denies them their right to use a simple tea that improves their quality of life without side effects or addiction.

Jared crerie

January 9, 2017 at 7:19 pm

Ok this is crazy. I’d just like to say that I was an opiate addict for four years. I tried everything. I used kratom to detox safely and painlessly then came off it with no symptoms of withdrawal left. That does not happen the many times I detoxed with suboxone.
I don’t buy my kratom from a headshop, I order it online.
You’re trying to ban a plant in the coffee family with 0 deaths associated to it without the combination of other deadly drugs. This plant does not cause respiratory depression. This plant gets people off heroin, off pain pills.
This plant saved my life.
I wish there was a way I could call this person to give them the true facts. Banning kratom will cause deaths, end of story.
This plant has killed nobody by itself. I watched 3 friends die from opiates last year. I just wish they found this plant.

Johanna Trahan

January 9, 2017 at 7:20 pm

I’m a veteran, a homeowner, and a member of the PTA. If I didn’t have my kratom tea to drink when my arthritis flared up, I wouldn’t be able to be an active part of the community. Makes me think Ms. Jacobs is being paid off by big pharma, who want to control all the natural medicine in the world. And gosh, that war on marijuana went really well, didn’t it? How many lives were ruined – how many of billions of dollars spent for nothing? Why start a new war against a PLANT?

Kathy Huffman

January 9, 2017 at 7:22 pm

Kratom is not an opoid. Show me where infants born addicted are. Show me e.r. room reports of Kratom overdoses. Show me the addicts of Kratom stealing,murdering with their glassey eyes and shakey hands.Show me how you can call yourself a Democrat,andChristian and lie and insult the millions of honest Americans,that use Kratom,safely and responsibly, that you are COMPLETELY UNEDUCATED about Kratom!

Glenda

January 9, 2017 at 7:25 pm

Hitler? The AKA is a non-profit group. Again how do they “profit off of addicts? ” And, by the way, the correct term is Substance Use Disorder, (SUD.) You can research ANYWHERE now really, especially in your own state of FLORIDA. Between patient brokering, your pill mills, and outpatient rehab facilities, FL could lose some lobbiest money if Kratom stays legal. If Kristin Jacobs gets her way, and third time ISN’T always the charm, you could LOSE millions in revenue from Kava & Kratom bars that keep people OUT of alcoholic bars AND off the streets/out of pill mills/out of outpt facilities, etc bc KRATOM IS IMMEDIATE. There’s NO WAIT LIST TO START Kratom and it WORKS.
Ironic thing is, Rubio wanted more info on Kratom and supports it, FDLE has their own report and it’s not harmful as does FL dept PH. You can report and read LIES but it makes NONE of it true. HITLER! Really?!?!? Poor research. Especially considering it’s your OWN STATE.

John Gerbitz

January 9, 2017 at 7:34 pm

No comments posted yet..,. Pretty suspicious . I guess not even one person agreed with all the nonsense of this politician.

Jesse

January 9, 2017 at 7:45 pm

This is ridiculous….this lady has no idea what she is talking about. She is completely fabricating a picture of what Kratom is….pray that she doesn’t get her way. Kratom helped me save my life from opiate addiction ! It didn’t save my life, I did that myself but it certainly helped me. Ban Kratom and people will die.

John Deininger

January 9, 2017 at 7:48 pm

There are too many absurdities in Ms. Jacob’s statements to directly address in one comment, so I will keep it simple. If you are interested in the truth, pick any one of these quotes and do a bit of research. I suggest the “a powerful lobby with a lot of money” comment. That one would be easy to find clear and truthful information about. Or maybe the “is an opiate.” line. Opiates, by definition, are direct products of the Papaver somniferum plant. Kratom is the dried leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree. An obvious, clear, and important factual error. As for the interest from out of state individuals, kratom saves lives. They know this, I know this, and every resident of Florida should know this. We care because (and I say this without hyperbole) the continued availability of this botanical supplement is a matter of life and death for many, many people. Decisions like these should be based on facts and sober consideration, not alarmist rhetoric, misinformation, and the demonization of those who do not share one’s position. Hitler? Is this the level that discourse has sunk too?

Shea Anderson

January 9, 2017 at 7:50 pm

I don’t know much about the issue but this lady seems unstable. Why would she keep pursuing this? It seems as though she had alterior motives.. maybe relating to Big Pharma. I know many people who take kratom as part of their overall health routine.

Richard

January 9, 2017 at 7:55 pm

How many “more” people are going to die? has anyone at all…?

Wounded US Veteran

January 9, 2017 at 8:00 pm

Essentially she’s calling the 1000s of veterans and single mothers who use Kratom to manage their chronic pain — Nazis?

This statement should cost her political career.

Russ
January 9, 2017 at 9:36 pm

Lets hope so.

Toby Harrison

January 9, 2017 at 8:08 pm

Jacobs is using the Hitler analogy of, “Tell a lie over and over, and it becomes truth”, in the wrong context. She has told her lies, comprised totally of anecdotal, emotionally charged “non-evidence”, over and over, and expects it to become truth. Hopefully, her intelligent colleagues in the Florida House and Senate, will see thru her zeal, and recognize her for what she is; A narcissistic, sleazy politician, attempting to climb the ladder of success, by trampling on the citizens of Florida, who are doing no harm to themselves or anyone else. Her comparison of Kratom to heroin, borders on madness. She brought a similar bill to Broward County, when she was a sitting commissioner, and it was defeated unanimously. Jacobs was furious. That same year she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. She brought the bill to the Legislature, where once again, it was soundly defeated. Then early in 2016 she came back with the same bill. Senator Jeff Clemons, District 31, amended the bill, with an age requirement of over 18yrs of age for possession of Kratom. It was passed as amended, by a majority, in the Senate Subcommittee for Civil and Criminal Justice. Jacobs, once again, was furious, and refused to compromise. She withdrew the bill, after the Committee approved it, as amended. This bill is not about Kratom. It is about Jacobs inability to realize “the people have spoken”. When will the People tell Representative Jacobs to spend her time on something beneficial to Florida citizens? I find it disturbing, at the very least, that her “personal vendetta” has consumed her, ever since she took office. We, as Floridians, are paying her to represent us. It’s high time she began doing so.

Bill Armstrong

January 9, 2017 at 8:09 pm

Kratom has changed my life for the better and I am thankful everyday for it. Was able to get off of 6 pharmaceutical drugs that my doctor was testing on me like a lab rat. All those prescriptions had nasty side effects, some were deadly, and they were highly addictive. In fact going with out those prescriptions for one day can kill you. Not with kratom. Kratom I can take once every few days and feel well for long periods of time without the harsh side effects and nasty withdrawal effects of presciption drugs like benzodiazepenes, SSRI/antidepressants, sleeping medications, etc. Kratom gave me my life back when prescriptions made me useless.

Leo Massey

January 9, 2017 at 8:11 pm

There are two things that you know are true when someone compares Hitler to anyone or anything that is not actively organizing genocide. One is that the person does not grasp the significance, scale, and horror of the Holocaust. The other is that the person is almost certainly on the wrong side of whatever argument they are making, and is desperate to gain support for their position. I don’t know much about this plant she’s ranting about, but I do know that her comments are ignorant and offensive, and make me think that the claims she’s making are equally absurd. Particularly since my understanding is that the plant she’s talking about has actually not killed anyone. As opposed to, you know, Hitler.

Andrew Turner

January 9, 2017 at 8:14 pm

As a Time Share owner with interests in Florida ill happily be contacting the representatives and Senators that cover all the areas where the Time Share has sites in Florida. This is embarrassing that she would think so little of herself to present no facts at all and to compare the “Kratom Lobby” whatever that means, I assume we advocates and nonprofits, to Hitler. While I served over 9 years in the military unail being too injured to continue on, I did so to protect her right to free speech and I’d expect that a political figure like Rep. Jacob’s would then grasp that one doesn’t have to be a full time resident to have a vested interest in the laws in Florida. Silly laws like this that she can use to frighten more in to voting for her again are very detrimental to the State of Florida and its tourism as well as future residents. Is she really afraid of “Hitler” in cute shirts?

Adam

January 9, 2017 at 8:15 pm

This is so ridiculous that it’d be funny if it weren’t potentially harmful. Her statements are so full of misinformation that it’s actually hard to decide where to start. But I’ll give it a go:

1) This is really not a “big industry” that has it out for “poor, addicted people.” The American Kratom Association (AKA) is struggling to get together the funds needed to fight the disinformation campaign being waged by the real big industries (pharmaceuticals and alcohol; kratom, in addition to acting a bit like coffee and a bit like tylenol, helps people quit those seriously, seriously dangerous and deadly addictions). The “industry” is made up of hundreds of small business owners and a couple of “large” (small by any other industry’s standards) companies.

2) “She sees no functional difference between the use of kratom and opiate addiction”; it’s really, seriously hard to overstate the hyperbole in this quote. Without exaggeration, it’s like comparing your coffee-loving coworker to a hardcore meth addict. It’s also not an opiate (I know this sounds like nitpicking because it could be considered an opioid because of some of the receptors it acts on, but I’m pointing it out because she really, really does not know what she’s talking about – opiates, like OxyContin, are prescribed all over the country and kill close to 30,000 Americans a year); and NOBODY dies from it.

3) “Why do addicts in Michigan care what happens in Florida?” If they were really addicts, they wouldn’t! They care because they’re compassionate people who understand that this is a PLANT, not a drug, and it’s not in any way dangerous (**as reported by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the LAST time she proposed this bill! And I quote: “Based on its research, FDLE concluded that Kratom does not currently constitute a significant risk to the safety and welfare of Florida residents.35 Additionally, the report cites that the Florida Department of Health has found that there are no pervasive health issues can be attributed to the ingestion of Kratom products in Florida.36” Source: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwjXw_m9sLbRAhUKQCYKHQ2MBiMQFgggMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fflsenate.gov%2FSession%2FBill%2F2016%2F0073%2FAnalyses%2Fh0073a.CRJS.PDF&usg=AFQjCNH4inNYBFKxqxE2RwLAz5cukotpBA&bvm=bv.143423383,d.eWE&cad=rja )

4) She conflates kratom and kava tea, which are entirely different plants; it’s like saying we should ban coffee because tobacco is dangerous (kava is also not dangerous, especially when compared with drugs like alcohol).

5) How come pharmacies don’t sell it? Because it’s not a drug! It’s a plant! I don’t buy my coffee from a pharmacist!

As far as the “addicts with glassy eyes and shaky hands” comment; I had some kratom before I wrote this post. Could you tell?

Oh… and “How many more are going to die?” None! Because nobody dies from kratom! Take too much and it just makes you uncomfortable; like drinking too much coffee makes you jittery and irritable (and actually, over 4,000 people died from caffeine in 2013 (source: http://www.caffeineinformer.com/a-real-life-death-by-caffeine )); which makes it infinitely more dangerous than kratom.

Stop wasting our tax dollars on a stupid witch hunt, lady.

Andy Gertjejansen

January 9, 2017 at 8:18 pm

Is this a joke? I don’t think they realize how many opiate addicts get their life back with Kratom. Every state that has done this has seen a massive increase in opiate OD’s.

Wade Harman

January 9, 2017 at 8:20 pm

I am saddened by your ignorance. Kratom users don’t have “shaky hands and glassy eyes”, lol.

I am a minister who uses this herb as a safe alternative to what the Dr’s and pharma companies want me to take, which is oxycontin. This is the reason they want to ban it. It’s about money alright, but it’s coming from the side of these bug corporations.

Don’t demonize this herb, try it before you personify it. I wish all of the people who have voiced their negative opinions about kratom would at least try it first. Opinions without experience is idiocy.

Frances B. Hunt

January 9, 2017 at 8:25 pm

I wish that I could talk with Kristin Jacobs so that I could understand why she is lobbying to ban Kratom. I am not an addict. My pain management physician started me on Lortab and bumped it up to Norco which I took for two more years. Then the CDC came out with the guidelines to deter opiate-based medication. My physician announced that all of my pain was from my Fibromyalgia with peripheral neuropathy, and I weaned off the Norco and two weeks later, I no longer relied on that medication. It had only provided about 30% reduction in pain that last year and my physician was aware of it. She didn’t have an alternate treatment to aleaviate my pain. What she had already offered was epidurals, RF nerve blocks, trigger point injections that my family physician could do, and Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN), plus three different physical therapy treatments…..which was unsuccessful. I have had Fibromyalgia longer than seven years but it was diagnosed in 2009. I had put up with the pain as long as I could. If I hadn’t discovered Kratom via online blogs, I probably wouldn’t be living now. I am 62 years old and square as they come. I have never taken street/illegal drugs in my life. Living in Virginia, there is no medical marijuana with exception for intractable epilepsy. I am only one of thousands of people that the CDC, other U.S. Govt agencies and our Healthcare system, that has abandoned our need for an alternate solution. I was taken off of opiates because for Fibromyalgia patients, studies shown that opiates taken long term actually INCREASE Fibromyalgia pain. I GET IT. Opiate-based medication is bad period. But please people, chronic pain is horrible. Unless you personally have chronic pain (daily pain lasting more than three months) or you have a loved one who has chronic pain, then you would understand why I take Kratom and it bearly takes the edge off my pain, like today. But the Kratom has helped me stay focused, so I am fighting the only way I know how. Yes, my heart breaks for the newborn babies, going through withdrawal. I am upset with the whole system, including pharmaceutical companies. Something needs to be done for the good of all people. I don’t want to become a statistic. A suicide victim, one of many who were unable to cope with their pain. Yes, they had healthcare. But no one cared about their pain.

Eadie Rowell

January 9, 2017 at 8:38 pm

This woman has lost her mind and the constituents she serves should throw her out on her heels! How dare her refer to me as an addict! I consume Kratom three or four times a month and only when my fibromyalgia is in a full blown flare. It has been medically proven opioids do not help Fibromyalgia pain. Kratom is the only herb I have found that relieves my pain. Once the flare has passed (usually with a weather front), I don’t even glance in the direction of Kratom! Sometimes going weeks without even thinking about Kratom! This is not the behavior of an addict and I feel she owes me and thousands of others a formal apology! How dare her!

MJB

January 9, 2017 at 8:40 pm

I’m a 40 year old professional in the IT industry with 15 years under my belt in the same company as Project Manager/Product Owner. I manage a team of 14 people and I craft workflow solutions for financial departments & meet business critical software deployment deadlines for Fortune 100 companies. I take kratom daily at a 2.5g dose to manage my chronic pain due to a hip and lower back injury which despite multiple surgeries and shelf-loads of pharmacy drugs still had me almost wheelchair bound.

Since discovering kratom I have my entire life back, and no longer unable to be on my feet for more than a half hour at a time. I take it in the morning, and it gets me through each day pain free and functioning at my highest level. I am no longer exhausted from struggling with near-constant physical pain 24 hours a day, I can actually sleep through a night without waking every hour or so in pain and having to roll over. I am most certainly not some strung out junkie, I’m healthy and fully functioning for the first time in 20 years since the accident which left me nearly crippled… and all toxic prescribed opiate free.

I don’t buy kratom from shady men on street corners who sell uppers & downers. I buy it from trusted vendors in clearly labeled packaging from small local shops, or online, along with my other herbal supplements. Although kratom may effect the same opioid receptors in the brain that something like heroin does, it doesn’t do so in the same way or with the same result at all. Kratom is not an opiate, it’s an opioid, and there is a critical difference. You will never get “high” on kratom, you literally cannot overdose on it (it is an irritant and will simply make you throw up long before your body can process it). You don’t snort it or inject it or smoke it, you take it orally in capsules or as a powder in a smoothie. The pain killing is profound, and it also balances your emotional and mental state, raising your mood to a “normal” level, and giving you a calm which doesn’t allow extreme emotions to get out of hand. It reduces all kinds of cravings (if you feel “normal”, you have no negative mental state to feed with an addiction) and gives you a mild energy boost as well. Kratom is in the coffee family, and impacts your system in a more effective way than its sister plant, and without the “coffee jitters” even.

Every word of Ms Jacobs “rationale” in her crusade against kratom is nonsense. She’s getting lobbyist kickbacks from the pharmaceutical industry to push their agenda, which is to schedule any effective medicinal botanical which they cannot patent, and has been doing so for the last 3 years. She sounds like those ridiculous Reefer Madness propaganda films, and every word of her claims are easily disproved in just a few minutes research. Google “Allen Francis Kratom” and read the powerful statement by Psychiatrist Allen Francis who was the chairman of the DSM-IV task force. Google “Jane Babin kratom” and read the 18 page in depth statement by Dr Jane Babin (Ph.D in molecular biology), a more thorough examination of the REAL effects of kratom you would be hard pressed to find. Just those 2 accredited sources wipe out every single poorly thought out, drug hysteria hyperbole that Ms. Jacobs comes out with.

If you need more, google “DEA-2016-0015” and read the testimony of over 23,000 people from all walks of life and all ages, from vets to housewives, from college kids being crushed by stress to 80+ year olds who have been failed by the medical system and left with crippling chronic pain. People with Fybromyalgia and Lyme’s disease, PTSD and anxiety and much more… all who submitted their stories of lives saved & changed profoundly for the better by this simple herb. Making this herbal remedy illegal will kill people, and that’s not overstating the issue. With pain management and prescribed opiates causing an epidemic of addiction, with how our vets already suffer from lack of mental health care and untreated PTSD, people are already killing themselves (and in some cases, others).

Taking away our ability to self medicate with a non-toxic, profoundly effective herbal supplement which causes no dangerous side effects or impairment of any kind is not just ignorant and cruel, it’s in-humane.

Frances B. Hunt

January 9, 2017 at 8:41 pm

I haven’t had a chance to read all of the other comments, but the few that I have read made me aware that I wasn’t clear about my recent comment. Kratom is not an opiate-based medication. It helps to relieve pain and helps with focusing, clairity. It does not cause newborn withdrawal symptoms.

Joe

January 9, 2017 at 8:41 pm

Her comments are extremely disrespectful. How many more are going to die? 0 because that is how many people kratom has killed. You know what did kill a lot of people the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. Comparing the kratom lobby to Hitler is heart breaking and disrespectful to the millions of people who died during the reign of the Nazi party. The errors of her statement are too many to correct them all but I don’t think one single thing she said was true.

Charlotte Lambers

January 9, 2017 at 8:45 pm

Rep. Jacobs, I respectfully disagree with your entire commentary. You are attempting to stop the sale and legal consumption of a plant; a relative of COFFEE called Kratom. Kratom is taken for several reasons, one of which is NOT to get HIGH! It is a natural growing leaf from a tree which is then ground and injested. As an Air Force Addictions Counselor I’ve done extensive research in what constitutes Kratom and it’s possible uses. First and foremost is it is allowing opiate addicts to decrease and finally quit taking the very pills that so many have been taking for years…given by doctors for pain, but they become addicted! Kratom eases the withdrawal with less to no harmful symptoms, unlike when I was overopiated in the hospital and sent home with two different opiates putting me into having stroke-like symptoms and being hospitalized two days after discharge. After my husband and I researched Kratom I took it and happily got off opiates all while it also decreased my pain from lumbar surgery!!
Before going any further with barring Kratom please do better and factual research. I live in Tallahassee and would be honored to speak with you. I am an 80% disabled Retired Veteran. Kratom could easily save some of the 22 daily veteran deaths!

R.G. Bell

January 9, 2017 at 8:51 pm

I would love to see the sources of Ms.Jacobs stories of Kratom addicts in the through of withdrawal and these pregnant mothers with Kava addiction.
Florida makes millions of dollars a year body brokering addicts who came looking for help. Kratom cuts into Florida’s corrupt drug rehab mills. How many people came to Florida looking for hope only to die on the streets. Still addicted to harmful narcotics.
When Kratom could have saved them.

Lana

January 9, 2017 at 8:57 pm

Who the hell keeps voting this incompetent moron into office!? I like how her bill makes exceptions for the pharmaceutical companies! What a lackey! “offering an exception for any FDA approved substance containing these chemicals.” Hmmm i wonder whose pocket she’s in? What an embarrassment to this state. Next time she is up for election, my only purpose on this planet will be to make sure she doesn’t get reelected.

James

January 9, 2017 at 9:04 pm

It appears that Rep. Jacobs has officially flipped her lid. Rejected twice by her colleagues, scientific studies, law enforcement data, and plain old Reason, she now resorts to Nazi references for her charming third try.

Why not? It appears she has little else to offer her constituents than a senseless crusade against a harmless botanical herb, compulsively and shamefully wasting Floridians’ time and money. She is obviously obsessed, consumed with rage. Her remarks are that of a zealot, and her constituents should take heed the next time they consider her at the ballot box. How embarrassing.

Oliver Wolfe

January 9, 2017 at 9:07 pm

Your old school drug war politics are a joke, it makes me sad that Florida has such uneducated officials. Don’t criminalize people for their own lifestyle choices.

Cheryl Jessen
January 10, 2017 at 9:58 am

Jacobs is a joke to the profession. Florida needs to replace her.

Nancy

January 9, 2017 at 9:09 pm

Ms. Jacobs, which Big Pharma are you representing? The only reason Big Pharma doesn’t mess with this herbal supplement is because they can’t patent it.
I suggest next time you make a public comment or voice your opinions, you do the research first so that you’ll know what you’re talking about.
I was floored by all the false statements and mis-representation of Kratom that you made.
Congratulations, you’ve made a total fool of yourself.

John Spaeth

January 9, 2017 at 9:17 pm

Equating Kratom activism to Hitler is offensive and bizarre. All of Representative Jacobs’ claims are wrong and are misinformation. Who is she working for? It sounds like she cares far more about the interests of the pharmaceutical industry than those of Floridians! What a disgrace.

Matt Beck

January 9, 2017 at 9:19 pm

KRATOM IS NOT AN OPIATE, IT DOES NOT CAUSE DEATHS, STOP MISINFORMING PEOPLE!!!

Russ

January 9, 2017 at 9:34 pm

There are literally tens of thousands of people dying from opiates every year, and there isn’t one absolutely definitive recorded death caused by Kratom, in the history of mankind. You have to be a sick, disturbed individual to want to ban such a beneficial, benign plant that is helping so many people get off dangerous drugs. I don’t believe anyone could be this ignorant, so there must be some ulterior motive (probably kick backs from Big Pharma). You should be ashamed of yourself Kristin Jacobs.

Craig Colby

January 9, 2017 at 9:41 pm

I have used Kratom to get off of opiates. Instead of killing mu liver with Vicodin, I went with Kratom. It was completely safe and did me no harm. I am no longer addicted to pain meds and have a much better quality of life. By the way…..Kratom comes from a leaf, naturally. Vicodin is manufactured by man. Stop screwing with people that want a natural remedy. Its safer than McDonald’s. Just saying. #keepkratomlegal #cannabisoilsaveslives
#floridasucks

Jamie West

January 9, 2017 at 9:48 pm

Babies born addicted to Kratom. That’s a joke! My baby was born at 34 weeks because of my BP. I took Kratom twice daily my whole pregnancy. He was in the NICU for 2 weeks. Lana and everything monitored all the time. He NEVER once had any signs of withdrawal! He was surrounded by full term opiate babies. They have a scream unlike you have never heard before. Some of them had been there for months! My baby came home at 4lbs 7oz!! Again comolwtely healthy and NEVER any signs of withdrawal!

LSB

January 9, 2017 at 9:55 pm

This woman has far too much time on her hands. She might want to consider a real job, presuming that she has marketable skills.

Amy Coyle
January 10, 2017 at 12:02 pm

Exactly what I was going to say. Seriously, there aren’t ANY real issues for Kristen Jacobs to focus on? Plus, I think SHE is the one hoping if she says a lie often enough people will believe it. Her statements about kratom would be laughable if she wasn’t threatening the quantity of life for thousands of Floridians who have found relief thanks to kratom. She needs to look those people in the eyes and tell them they are just junkies in her view.

C. Lenahan

January 9, 2017 at 10:04 pm

~30 comments in 3 hours.

Just did some high-caliber analytics and determined that the next step for the lovely, now educated, people flowing through this article need to head here next —>

http://www.petitiontrumpforkratom.org/#/6/

Petition Trump to Keep Kratom Legal (!)

(it literally takes 5 seconds to sign. Do you have 5 seconds?)
– You do

Embrace Mrs. Jacobs and use this as fuel on the fire, to get more motivated personally and share this story with anybody and everybody you know. No joke! Be an influence – just like Mrs. Jacobs 🙂

Will

January 9, 2017 at 10:17 pm

She is completely wrong. Kratom is nowhere near the same thing as opiates. Kratom has helped thousands of people get out of terrible sometimes life-threatening situations and alllowee them to be productive members of society. Kratom is in the coffee family. Think about how many people drink coffee daily to give them a little boost to their morning/day. I feel Kratom is no different. It’s unfortunate to see ignorant people who hold the mentality that “every drug is a menace to society”. And she’s wrong saying that Kratom is an opiate, it is believed to be a partial opiate agonist, but it’s definitely not an opiate. People need to know the facts.

Tom Par

January 9, 2017 at 10:35 pm

Jacobs has no shame in spreading her misinformation. She won her seat by default and if she has her way, she will be the Hitler by forcing people to live her way. It’s sad that she doesn’t understand many people have chosen Kratom to help manage a healthier lifestyle. Many people are off of opiate pain medication and hard drugs with the help of Kratom. Ms. Jacobs harsh judgements and rude name calling has only further shown her ignorance for educating herself on this matter. At some point she should listen to the public in which she represents and stand down. Make a legal age restriction, don’t allow head shops and gas stations to sell it. Responsible adults who are benefiting from this herb should be allowed access as they wish. Kratom has been safely used for thousands of years with zero deaths from Kratom alone. Florida residents, we need this woman out of our lives. Kristen Jacobs needs to be expelled or censured from her position. Let’s start a petition, maybe she’ll save face and resign.

Ashley

January 9, 2017 at 10:49 pm

What an absurd and outright lie… I wonder who’s lining her pockets. I think it would be much more useful to focus on the many other drugs that are causing a massive amount of deaths in this state compared to other states. Kratom has helped so many people I can’t even begin to tell you. Even my father, whom is very much against any kind of drug use, gave kratom a shot and loves it. He suffers from headaches and fatigue and it has really helped him. Not to mention my own story and my stepmother’s and tons of others across the country. To anyone reading these comments, it should be obvious to you that this is not a threat. Unfortunately, Google searches will turn up with similar results of people saying things like this that know squat about the botanical. Please do not believe these unfounded statements. These are people’s LIVES she’s putting at risk

Jim

January 9, 2017 at 11:13 pm

I’m just another person who thinks this Kristin Jacobs needs to be removed from office based on the premise that A): she’s completely wrong in her thinking on every level, spreading misinformation and outright lies, possibly motivated by the need for revenge of past failure regarding kratom? and B): her sanity really needs to be called into question as a result of her completely idiotic statements. PAY NO ATTENTION TO ANY STATEMENT SHE MAKES REGARDING KRATOM, or for that matter, perhaps anything else. Of course, the other possibility is that she is being paid off by Big Pharma. In any case, she’s made dangerous, irresponsible statements that should bear the consequence of calling her career as a politician into question.

Jim Smith

January 9, 2017 at 11:49 pm

The people have spoken. It’s over. Got a ton of new people using kratom and they email me every day with success stories. Not one bad incident. There are no deaths from kratom, sorry but no kratom addicted baby either, and the top researchers are saying that kratom is a miracle plant with a lot of potential to SOLVE the opiate epidemic. Yes the research exists. In my lifetime, we’ll see a kratom pill that can get you out of pain quick without being addictive. That’s a huge victory for this country. That’s a huge victory for all of the veterans in the military. Go tell the wife of an addict soldier that he has to be on Oxycontin for the rest of his life, because you shunned the cure. Just because you’re not in pain, doesn’t mean that we don’t have compassion for those who are. It’d be pretty easy to go to Dr. Chris McCurdy’s lab and talk to him. He’ll tell you that this is the cure. He figured that out on less than $500,000. Wouldn’t be great if the state of Florida gave him some money and let him go to work. We can save a lot of your opiated addicted citizens, not just with kratom, but teaching them how to stay sober. Think of kratom as a food that is a medicine…like Tumeric. Why does everything have to be a “drug”?

Jill

January 9, 2017 at 11:53 pm

I take kratom daily and receive many benefits and very little negative affects. If I were to stop, I would experience withdrawal similar in intensity to caffeine cessation. I am not an drug addict. After pinney released their 8 point analysis, I am completely floored that taking away such a useful plant is still a topic of legislation in any part of this great country. If you ban this botanical supplement I can assure you that you’ll see a major spike in opiate related deaths and their blood will be on YOUR HANDS. This plant is not a threat to anyone. Taking it away sure is. Furthermore, the industry is not a threat to the people that buy kratom. Perhaps a threat to the pharmaceutical company and medical industry, but I can personally attest to the fact that as a botanical supplement vendor my aim is to HELP PEOPLE not harm them.

Jill

January 9, 2017 at 11:58 pm

LEGALITY DOESN’T MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO ADDICTION. PEOPLE CHOOSE KRATOM BECAUSE THEY’RE TIRED OF BEING WHORES FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY! TIRED OF NOT BEING TOLD ALL SIDE EFFECTS AND WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS UPON STOPPING A RX. BESIDES ALL THAT, SHE’S FLAT OUT WRONG! IT’S NOT AN OPIATE!!!! IT’S NOT EVEN A RELATIVE OF AN OPIUM POPPY OR ANY OTHER OPIATE YIELDING PLANTS OR MEDICATIONS!!

Eric

January 10, 2017 at 12:23 am

Florida just legalized medial marijuana by a healthy margin, and now this woman is trying to criminalize another plant with much LESS of a potential for abuse, that has never killed anyone, and that helps people with a host of chronic conditions?

She is either willfully ignorant of the facts about Kratom, or she has ulterior motives (such as payoffs from organizations that want to see cheap natural remedies eliminated)

Bonni Cutler

January 10, 2017 at 12:38 am

Kratom has not killed anyone and is a supplement that can help with pain management, and other medicinal uses. I am 50 years old with a Masters degree in higher education and use it to ease the pain and fatigue associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Before Kratom I could barely get through my work week and I would just sleep through the weekends. Since I have been using Kratom I am thriving at work, still have energy after work, exercise and enjoy activities on the weekends.

Heather L Gray

January 10, 2017 at 12:51 am

Kratom is NOT an opiate. It is not even technically defined as an opioid at all! You might be interested in knowing this was written in the independent 8-factor analysis submitted to the dea by Pinney & Associates (which is 127 pages long and contains TONS of evidence that kratom is safe!): “Although MG and 7-OH-MG have sometimes been referred to as “opioids,” in this document the term “opioid” will only be used to refer to molecules and products that are opioids as defined by the CSA, which identifies opioids as substances with addiction- forming or addiction sustaining liability similar to morphine, or substances capable of conversion into drugs with such liability. See 21 USC 802(18); see also 21 USC 812(c) (scheduling opium, opium derivatives, and opiates, including opium extracts and derivatives of thebaine); 21 CFR 1308.12 (same). This definition excludes kratom and its alkaloids.”

Are you familiar with Dr. Henningfield? He is one of the addiction experts at Pinney & Associates. I think he and his colleagues are pretty qualified to make these statements.I’m no scientist, but I trust this guy. Here is his bio. “Jack E. Henningfield is one of the world’s leading experts on addiction, and the behavioral, cognitive, and central nervous system (CNS) effects of drugs. He counsels clients on assessment of the abuse liability of new CNS-acting drugs and formulations, evaluation of potential application of the Controlled Substances Act to new products, assessment of the tamper resistance of novel formulations, and development of risk management approaches. Jack frequently liaises with the Food and Drug Administration on issues concerning drug scheduling and addiction, and has presented frequently to FDA Advisory Committees. He has contributed to numerous comments to FDA on topics including prescribing of opioids for chronic pain, development and regulation of abuse-deterrent opioid formulations, and regulation of nicotine delivery systems. Jack’s research has resulted in the writing of numerous books and monographs, and over 400 published papers on myriad topics in public health, pharmacology, and addiction. He has received numerous awards for his research and policy contributions to the understanding and control of tobacco addiction.”

IF DR. HENNINGFIELD DOESN’T THINK KRATOM IS A DANGEROUS ADDICTIVE DRUG, WHY DOES KAREN JACOBS?WHAT TRAINING DOES SHE HAVE IN THE FIELD OF ADDICTION MEDICINE OR SCIENCE?

Sarah Pennington

January 10, 2017 at 1:02 am

Please seek out a meaningful reason to be in office you will gladly take money from Liquor stores..won’t you ?

Andrew

January 10, 2017 at 1:38 am

How many more will die? Well, zero have died so far, so…. As many have mentioned the AKA is a non-profit organization, so…. The people and science have already soundly rejected and refuted this fundamentalist’s obsession with banning a plant. Why can’t she respect the will of the American people? It is bizarre to say the least.

Anne Marie

January 10, 2017 at 1:43 am

I have taken it. I even gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl while using it as a substitute for opiates while pregnant. She is perfect, I didn’t become addicted. This is all nonsense perpetrated by the drug companies to keep people addicted to pain meds.

Jamie Smith

January 10, 2017 at 2:19 am

This is the same thing that happened with “reefer madness”, when they put marijuana on the Schedule 1 knowing it was a safer alternative to pain pills and had other healing properties the whole time. All so someone could profit. Why do people in Michagin care about what happens in Florida? Because they don’t want it to happen again.

Sandy West

January 10, 2017 at 2:31 am

Why do others care if we don’t live in Florida? Maybe we would like to visit your great state but would be forced to go further down the beach if the law passed… Ma’am, not sure what YOUR agenda is or if you have been bought, but if, by chance, this is all coming from your narrow mind, you should take a step back and gather some FACTS. You are making a fool of yourself.

Richard G Bell
January 10, 2017 at 8:25 am

I am in Florida 2 months out of the year. I’m planning on moving to Florida in 2020.

Pepper Culpepper

January 10, 2017 at 3:11 am

What is wrong with this woman? There are 100 MILLION people in America who suffer from chronic pain. And there are about 23 million addicts. The people with chronic pain suffer because of the “crackdown” on opiates. Obviously since there are more people with chronic pain than with the disease of addiction, they can’t ALL be addicts, now can they? She’s such a genius.

Brian H

January 10, 2017 at 7:44 am

You are a shill for pharma and rehab centers. You are writing in a state who has billions come in for rehab from addicts all over the country. hitler used propaganda to get rid of Jewish folks. You are using UNTRUE and without experience of Kraton propaganda to try and drive addicts away from something that actually works and won’t kill you. Rehabs don’t work nearly as well. WE KNOW BECAUSE MANY OF US HAVE BEEN. I was in palm beach and left with a $100,000 00 bill after being LIED TO by the company. When I found out my insurance wouldn’t cover my rehab…i tried to leave. I wad not baker acted but still MADE to stay. If I left they would keep my money id wallet. They would leave you in the GHETTO where all the dealers are. That by the way is where the rehab’s are. Keaton saved my life for $70 per month from losing control after being caught in a raquette in Florida. You my friend ate hitler if you think promoting those places saves lives. It kills families takes homes and many of those kids leave and DIE because they do NOTHING to help down there in Florida its all money. You blood sucking shill can’t even open your eyes to the gasoline that is alp other treatment options to an addicts FIRE. KRATOM works. WITHOUT the addictive properties, without side effects, cheap. You your paper I hope fails miserably at life because turning addicts away from Kratom os just like giving them a pill or needle and saying good bye have a nice death. You are dispicable.

Robert Perry

January 10, 2017 at 9:31 am

Ms Jacobs main concern is losing those huge campaign denations from the drug companies if enough people can get off powerful man made drugs and use natural alternatives like karatom. This woman is interested only in her pocketbook and nothing else.

Jenni

January 10, 2017 at 10:13 am

All of the people above DO NOT sound like some crazed Hitler drug addicts to me… they actually sound like very well educated people. The crazed one sounds like Ms. Jacobs , respectfully of course.

Philip Cabibi

January 10, 2017 at 10:48 am

Could the fact that she accepted alot of money from the Big Pharma Lobby be any more obvious?

Bob boyer

January 10, 2017 at 1:19 pm

I have to assume , the lobbying from big pharma has lined this ladies pockets. I assume she is just an American politician

Pete

January 10, 2017 at 1:37 pm

This women is breathtakingly stupid and ill informed.

Jennifer mason

January 10, 2017 at 2:26 pm

Well she is right about ONE thing..why isnt it sold in pharmacies and gnc? It absolutely should be as Its a completely harmless botanical, herbal supplement…so what if its mildly addictive..so is caffeine. To even put it in the same context as heroin is just ridiculous. If you have tried kratom you would know that you do not get any kind of a high from it and you cannot abuse it by consuming too much because if you take too much kratom you will puke.

KTek1031

January 10, 2017 at 3:34 pm

youtu.be/tV1u2fNjnp4

Or search Kristin Jacobs Corrupt on YouTube.

Robert

January 10, 2017 at 3:57 pm

This lady really wants to kill people. Kratom is healthy and has saved so many lives. How do such ignorant people get into positions of power and to make things worse she believes she has a right to ban nature and control your body. What a disgusting and evil person she is.

C. Lenahan

January 10, 2017 at 4:26 pm

If you’re posting a comment here, and you’d like to help further —

We’re fanning the flames towards Florida’s legislative page.
Their motto: “Bringing People to the Process”

Go here —> https://legiscan.com/FL/bill/H0183/2017?fb_comment_id=1064507000325103_1066989523410184&comment_id=1066989523410184#f251bb7849b6c3a

Dev
January 10, 2017 at 5:35 pm

Let’s be honest here Ms. Jacobs if that’s your real name. You want to ban Kratom because you are getting paid by the pharmaceutical companies that are killing people with their man made chemicals! Hmm let’s see if I have chronic pain and I have to take something everyday to function at work and in everyday life which one do you think is a healthier option you imbecile?!?!God put Kratom on this earth for a reason. You are a Satanist if you try and ban this wonderful plant! It has saved so many lives.

Tricia

January 10, 2017 at 4:30 pm

I cannot believe what I just read. There isn’t even one true statement on here. Kratom is a supplement related to coffee. I know many people who use it, and not one has had glassy eyes or shaky hands. What I have seen is decreased pain and anxiety. The ability to function when nothing else works. The ability to decrease or discontinue prescription opiates and illegal drugs. Why does someone from out of state care? We care because we know it saves and improves lives! There has NEVER been a death attributed to Kratom alone. And it’s been used for thousands of years. It sounds like a personal misinformed vendetta that can only result in great evil. Take this away, and the problems in florida will increase ten fold, as it has in the few other states that have banned it. Perhaps she wants anyone who is struggling or ill with chronic conditions to die. That’s the only explanation.

Aundria Premo

January 10, 2017 at 7:24 pm

Nobody’s ever died from kratom, you insane witch. I’d like to see my kids grow up. Without kratom, it’s not gonna happen.

Jason

January 11, 2017 at 2:36 am

This wench is dumb asf and my guess is she doing it for big pharma😡😡😡

Frizz Allen

January 11, 2017 at 3:44 am

This woman is a clueless idiot. I am a user of Kratom. I am not addicted to it or anything else. It doesn’t make me high, I have no withdrawal symptoms without it. It helps me with pain & inflammation without the dangers of drugs. It doesn’t screw up your liver & kidneys like Tylenol ( which is an ineffective but dangerous OTC drug), it doesn’t make me bleed profusely from the smallest scratch like aspirin does. I have never, not once gotten ” the shakes” from this natural remedy. The campaign to schedule this herb as a drug is nothing more than a ploy by the pharmaceutical industry to force people not to use the tools that nature has gifted us with. This woman is obviously a pawn because she certainly has no actual knowledge whatsoever.

Katie Lair, LCSW

January 11, 2017 at 10:19 am

Comparing an advocacy movement to Hitler is ludicrous! (I am Jewish, and I think Hitler was a little worse than a kratom advocacy group! If only he was as “bad” as the AKA. We’d have a lot more Jews around today, that’s for sure! Sheesh!)

Also, if Ms. Jacobs has such compassion for the people of Florida (which I am presuming she does, I would like to believe her heart is in the right place here and she is just misinformed), she would find it enlightening to look at the overdose-related death rates in states that decided to ban kratom–Indiana, Wisconsin, Tennessee. The overdose rates all went up! If she does not want more dead Floridians, she should leave kratom alone!
file:///C:/Users/Katie/Downloads/StatsforODdeathsinTNIN%20(1)%20(1).pdf
file:///C:/Users/Katie/Downloads/WIstats3.pdf

Also, as I mentioned, 69% of kratom consumers are in the workforce. According to research I have done, it appears that banning kratom would pull people out of the workforce as they would be to ill to work! They would then be forced to apply for disability! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BC4MlV2yxvru7K3Y8UqYFj_8RgnLoegGf8F97SLpcps/edit?usp=sharing

Kratom United

January 11, 2017 at 11:14 am

I have watched Ms. Jacob’s in action and she attempt to demonize kratom, the people that provide it and the people who take it is a total waste of tax dollars. The OR rate is at epidemic proportion now and she wants to ban the 1 plant that can help address that. Botanical Education Alliance is a group that I fully support and the education they provide is evident, kratom is a safe tea! http://www.botanical-education.org/ To waste an article on a blatant threat by Jacob’s only discredited your site and your credibility as a news reporter. Adults don’t sling mud they debate facts which I saw none of.

Jean

January 11, 2017 at 6:17 pm

Kratom killed my niece! Heart attack caused by the drug interaction of Kratom with her other meds. Expensive rip off of the public. Banned in Thailand since 1947!

Kendra
January 12, 2017 at 7:19 am

First, it’s no longer banned in Thailand. Second, it was banned in Thailand because it was drawing money away from the heroin trade, since it controlled people’s pain and allowed them to wean off of the opiate. Third, I am going to venture a guess that you are unwilling to state what other drugs your niece was taking or what her general health was, because it would detract from your story here. We’re all well aware that correlation is not causation, but more importantly vis a vis your story, heart attack is not an occurrence that happens with any notable or significant number of people who happen to take kratom as well.

You see, there is a handful of anti-kratom advocates who tend to come to these types of message boards and leave scare-tactic messages such as yours, but in each case, without fail, they are unwilling to provide the actual facts surrounding the situation.
John Gerbitz
January 12, 2017 at 5:36 pm

Please provide positive medical proof to this very first ever attributable kratom death. Are you aware tylenol(acetaminophen) is used commonly for the same reasons as kratom? And is POSITIVELY associated with heart attacks? It kills HUNDREDS of people YEARLY! I hope you would also support a bill to restrict acetaminophen…
Falling pianos kill more people than kratom has.. (ever). Kratom saves lives. It doesn’t take them away.
Eddie
January 14, 2017 at 7:13 am

it was the interaction with her meds. I’m sorry this happened to you, but kratom by itself has never caused a fatal overdose. As for Thailand, it’s well known that the banning over there was purely political. Thailand, at the time, had a booming opium trade market but people were starting to use kratom to help ease the horrible opium withdrawal symptoms, helping many people quit entirely. The Thai gov’t didn’t like this as it started to cut into their opium profits, so they made it illegal. Which was kind of stupid considering the Kratom tree is native to Thailand and grows naturally there.
Anna
January 22, 2017 at 7:35 pm

Jean – the reason Kratom was banned in 1947 in Thailand was because it was taking away profits from their opiate trade… educate yourself…

Mandi

January 11, 2017 at 10:13 pm

This woman is such an idiot. I am so sick of this communistic behavior. The dea was made to protect people from harmful drugs, not herbals like kratom. She calls people addicted to it, because they need it for pain? She’s an idiot. It’s no more harmful than coffee, I guess they better ban that too. People like this woman doesn’t like the fact that people are getting off of opiates, most likely she’s in big pharma’s pocket. Wouldn’t surprise me, if journalism actually investigated the truth and cared to find out the truth, I bet they’d find out a lot of the people in government that is against Kratom, have some kind of relationship with Pharma, or are being paid by them. It helps with pain, but it has also helped people addicted to things like heroine. It is nothing like heroine. There are many things out there that helps people who are addicted to substances, that doesn’t mean they’re are the same thing. I can’t stand ignorance, because obviously this woman is. If it gets banned in the U.S., a lot of people are going to be moving to Canada, I’m getting sick of America taking away our rights, and I’m not standing for it. I will not go back on pain meds, they’re horrible for you and I won’t do that to my body any longer!!

Katie
January 12, 2017 at 7:41 am

I would agree with most of what you’ve said, except that trying to ban kratom is totalitarian/authoritarian (fascistic might be appropriate here as well) behavior and isn’t best characterized as “communistic.” Obviously, certain communist countries have become totalitarian, but it doesn’t have anything to properly do with communism as a system of governance or economic theory. In fact, we here in the US have seen commensurate drug policy over the course of the past century, but I doubt anyone would call this behavior (the attempt to ban it, that is) “democratic.” But the reason these draconian drug policies have been imposed on us in this purportedly democratic nation is because we have seen a drastic shift toward totalitarianism and authoritarianism in the past few decades. And this is not going to end any time soon with the current administration; if you look at Jeff Sessions’s record, it will almost certainly get worse.

My ultimate point is that one should tread carefully when trying to characterize this action in terms of a theory of governance or political party. This issues defies neat or intuitive politic divisions, as there is support for the freedom to use kratom on both the left and right – including the extreme left and extreme right.

Blair

January 13, 2017 at 6:12 pm

Kristin Jacobs is clearly ignorant or on the payroll of a pharmaceutical company who’s losing sales of dangerous addicting drugs they want us to take instead.

KatesMarie

January 13, 2017 at 6:28 pm

I have been on Kratom now for 3 1/2 years, I have Fibromyalgia, lupus and MS. I also have Neuropathy, CFS, Endometriosis and Ulcerative Colitis. I don’t know if this representative has had the pleasure of living day in and day out with chronic pain, but let me just say I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. To hear the comments made by this woman is both hurtful and familiar, why is it familiar? Because many times we hear so many people who don’t care to take the time to learn about what we go through just to get up in the morning. I never asked for this and neither did the MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE who live with chronic illnesses. But I’ll tell you one thing Kratom has given me what pain medication has failed- RELIEF! My drs are amazed at how well I’m doing, and yes my drs ARE WELL AWARE OF MY KRATOM USAGE AND APPROVE 100%! Because they see that I’m able to get out of bed, do things that I shouldn’t be able to with my conditions! And my eyes are not glossed over, I’m MORE CLEARED HEADED THAN WHEN A dr had me so hopped up on pain meds I ended up in the ER and almost died because she over medicated me! Please don’t go after something that helps millions of people, you are only hurting them.

Erik

January 13, 2017 at 10:29 pm

I looked up political contributions made to Kristin Jacobs… she has received contributions from the NJ Pharmaceutical company Merck! I wonder why she’s so passionate about this?!!

K. Johnson
January 14, 2017 at 9:15 am

Could you please provide a link?

Erik

January 13, 2017 at 10:35 pm

As well as Florida Beer Wholesalers and ABC Wine and Spirits. Pretty ironic.

Austin

January 13, 2017 at 11:00 pm

The problem with society is that we have idiots working in important political positions, running the show. Kristin Jacobs is an idiot, because she is stating that kratom is an opiate as fact. It does not come from the poppy plant. Therefore, it is NOT an opiate. It is an opioid. So many politicians claim to know things they don’t and use that as their reasoning for taking action. Look in an encyclopedia or a dictionary Kristin Jacobs, please, for the love of God.
Kratom should stay legal. It does not cause respiratory depression like opiates do. It saves people from hard, opiate drugs that could actually kill them. I’m saying this from personal experience. I quit taking kratom and it helped me quit smoking cigarettes too. It has been a year and a half since I quit smoking, and it’s been a few months since I quit kratom.

Kristine Fleming

January 18, 2017 at 1:15 am

I live in Oregon where they are trying desperately, jumping through loop holes in the system to schedule Kratom. Getting a pharmacy board and special committee to push this through, rather then the standard way. America is under attack by these politicians that have their own agenda. Kratom has been a life saver which helps me through chronic pain as I have sarcoidosis which effects different vital organs as well as my bones and muscles. If I took every dangerous, addicting, and useless pharmaceutical drug pushed on me I would be dead. Not only is the treatment short lasting, if at all, the side effects of these drugs are down right damaging to tbe body and tbey know it! So why should I have to do what I know and they know could shorten my life significantly or kill me? Since when is a herb a pharmaceutical that pharmacy boards need to conclude on? Kratom has taken my chronic pain down to minimal so that I can take care of my two year old and do daily activities that otherwise couldn’t. These politicians are clearly out of focus when it comes down to it and what we the people want. And furthermore, Im not a glazed over, glassy eyed junky with shaky hands and neither are the rest of my fellow Americans taking Kratom to help for a better quality of life. This over-reach of their power has got out of hand and needs to stop. Let we the people decide our destiny and make our own choices to use it or not as we are consenting adults. And perhaps we should start banning pharmaceuticals!

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