Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/08/31/dea-will-ban-kratom-a-popular.html
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Never heard of it and now I want it.
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Although my memory is fuzzy, I’m pretty sure that the remains of Superman’s home planet can be quite toxic.
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The agency that thinks marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol and cigarettes wants to ban something else? Wonder what company will profit from this ban?
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Welcome to the FDA’s reservation where your body belongs to us.
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So the government can escalate the War on Drugs because of the risk of poisoning, but they can’t make the medical system, or the poison control system, at all accessible.
I am disabled and can’t use phones. Poison control requires phones or relay services. Web poison control doesn’t cover disabled people and asks us to use phones. Most medical services require phones. The government partially funds services requiring phones, and won’t fund accessible alternatives; I suppose they value abled people’s lives more than deaf or hyperacute or autistic people’s lives. The government insists this isn’t an accessibility problem because relay services exist, but because of concerns that people who can use phones might abuse relay services, it requires registration, which requires phones, so that people who can’t use phones can’t use the relay services.
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I have heard of people using kratom to ease chronic pain conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia, so clearly the opioid producers will have had their hands in this ban.
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If you want to do something about it, please sign the petition! https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/please-do-not-make-kratom-schedule-i-substance
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online petitions of any sort are arguably less useful than the paper they’re printed on.
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Only to Superman, goofball. It is harmless to humans.
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It isn’t about some other company profiting, it is about the government retaining power.
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Don’t worry, I’m sure Martin Shkreli will fill the gap with a low-cost alternative.
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Evidence?
I’m not seeing the separation in the U.S. that you seem to see between “the government” and “companies.” These days, as much or more than ever, those pulling strings and otherwise enacting power in the federal government are in the grips of and acting on behalf of corporate power. In part because they seek and/or have received corporate campaign donations, and in part because they seek (very lucrative) corporate work after leaving office.
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And/or threaten the DEA with actual consequences. Because without there being any, governments tend to not obey their citizens.
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OF COURSE they’re outlawing a relatively harmless, legal opiate analogue, which many people use to get OFF of opiates/fentanyl, during one of the WORST addiction crises in history. So many more people are going to die now, as they move on to worse and worse stuff. All so some pharma companies can post some slightly higher numbers at the end of the quarter. Fuck this disgusting “war” on drugs. Makes me physically ill to see this sort of garbage.
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pass stupid laws - face stupid consequences.
This war on the people must end.
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I guess I would have to ask for your evidence to the contrary. Which corporate entity(s) would pull strings to ban kratom and why? Certainly there is some corporate control over how the government is run, but I don’t think you can blame everything on them.
I know the original conspiracy about various industries not wanting to compete with hemp being a factor with banning Marijuana. But what many people fail to see that if these items were LEGAL large companies would be making money hand over fist. Imagine Phillip Morris if they could get into the legal weed game.
I have no idea how easy Kratom is to get. It is a herbal supplement, so is it something you could buy in a store that sells herbal supplements, or is it more of a gas station/online thing? But some COMPANY was making and selling it, right?
Of course there is a third option - that there is no direct government power or corporate power over this decision - that there are legit concerns of people self dosing a drug or supplement that has negative effects if misused and the FDA is just doing their jobs. Which is why it was banned.
My original comment about power is more directed towards the general War on Drugs, which is responsible for more erosion of civil liberties than anything else. I still think the whole war on drugs is a failure and we should have the option to take potentially dangerous drugs if one is so inclined.
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Lex’s Luthors cancer would like to have a word with you about that.
OH great, we now have a super nerd going to correct me because he read issue seven hundred blah blah that shows long term exposure to Kryptonite may increase the risk for cancer.
So when I said “harmless”, I was technically wrong.
But it certainly doesn’t have the same crippling effect that it has on Superman.
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Just pointing out facts. You can be the bigger man and move on. (and the word you are looking for is “same” I doubt a safe crippling effect would be very crippling)
