Thais vote for legal medical cannabis & kratom

Thailand legislature legalises medical cannabis and kratom - Al Jazeera:

December 25, 2018 - "Thailand's legislature has agreed to amend the country's drug law to allow the licensed medical use of cannabis, as well as kratom, a locally grown plant traditionally used as a stimulant and painkiller. The Thai legislation on Tuesday passed its final reading at the National Legislative Assembly by a vote of 166-0 with 13 abstentions....

"The changes, which become law when published in the Royal Gazette, legalise the production, import, export, possession and use of cannabis and kratom products for medical purposes.

"Purveyors, producers and researchers will need licenses to handle the drugs, while end-users will need prescriptions.

"Thailand is the first country to take such action in Southeast Asia, a region with some of the world’s strictest drug laws. The move is under consideration in neighbouring Malaysia, while New Zealand's government earlier this month enacted a law liberalising the medical use of cannabis, which had previously been tightly restricted.

"Recreational use of the drugs remains illegal in Thailand and subject to prison terms and fines....

"While countries from Colombia to Canada have legalised cannabis for medical or even recreational use, the drug remains illegal and taboo across much of Southeast Asia, which has some of the world’s harshest punishments for drug law violations. Cannabis traffickers can be subject to the death penalty in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

"Some said they hoped Tuesday's approval would pave the way for legalisation for recreational use.

"'This is the first baby step forward,' said Chokwan Chopaka, an activist with Highland Network, a cannabis legalization advocacy group in Thailand."

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/thailand-legislature-legalises-medical-cannabis-kratom-181226010249208.html

Colorado Libertarians decry Denver kratom ban

Kratom Ban in Denver Ripped by Libertarian Party of Colorado | Westword - Michael Roberts:

January 23, 2018 - "In November, Denver Environmental Health issued a human-consumption ban on kratom, a plant-based substance that advocates tout as a pain reliever lacking the well-known negative effects of more powerful opioids. Now the Libertarian Party of Colorado is formally decrying the move, and the organization's spokesperson reveals that it's a very personal subject for her. After all, she's a user of kratom who believes her life would be infinitely worse if she could no longer take it.

"'Who is the government to tell me that I can't have a functional life and have to live with excruciating pain that makes me want to kill myself?' asks Caryn Ann Harlos, the Colorado LP's communications director....

"[K]ratom has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration took steps to reclassify it as a Schedule I narcotic in August 2016 before reversing course the following year. The change in approach was undoubtedly influenced by public backlash; approximately 140,000 people signed a petition to the White House opposing the DEA's proposal, and a group of 51 U.S. senators and representatives sent a letter to Chuck Rosenberg, the agency's acting head, questioning it.

"Nevertheless, the feds continued to view kratom consumption as dangerous, attributing fifteen deaths between 2014 and 2016 to its use, even though fourteen of the victims had other drugs or illegal substances in their systems when they died.... DEH didn't ban all sales of kratom, but retailers that wish to peddle it for non-consumptive purposes must affix a consumer advisory ...that states: 'This product is not intended for human consumption. Consuming kratom products may pose a risk, including death, to consumers and has addictive potential.'....

"'I have a degenerative back disorder, spinal stenosis, and I've been on and off Vicodin for fifteen years,' Harlos says.... 'But when I moved to Colorado, the federal government started cracking down on opioids, and when I'd try to get legitimate pain medication, they made me feel like a criminal'.... Harlos began looking around for pain-killing alternatives — and marijuana didn't do the trick. 'I don't like it, and it doesn't work for me,' she allows.... At that point, she goes on, 'I discovered kratom, and it worked better than Vicodin. It doesn't have any side effects. You do get a boost when you take it, but it's a boost like you get from caffeine'....

"'The national Libertarian Party is for the full legalization of drugs, period,' she stresses. 'Our position is that the government doesn't own you — that if you want to put something in your body and it's not harming others, it's not the government's business. They have no business protecting you from yourself. So even if kratom was being used recreationally, we'd oppose a ban. But kratom has obvious medical uses. It's had no downside in my life, and it's the same for other people I know who use kratom for pain management. They haven't had any issues, either.'"

Read more: http://www.westword.com/news/kratom-ban-in-denver-ripped-by-libertarian-party-of-colorado-9908252
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DEA's attempted kratom ban indefinitely delayed

What the Reversed Kratom Ban Teaches Us About Drug Advocacy in America - Brenden Gallagher, Merry Jane:

November 11, 2016 - "You may not be familiar with the drug kratom, but many Americans are. Kratom is known to relieve pain and anxiety, and has often been used to ease the challenges of getting off of more harmful drugs, namely opioids. The DEA was slated to ban kratom until late September, when an outpouring of public activism by kratom users led to an indefinite delay on such a ban.

"Earlier this year, the DEA announced its intent to place kratom on the list of Schedule I drugs. This is the most restrictive category of banned substances that includes drugs like heroin and LSD. The DEA describes a Schedule I like so: 'Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological and/or physical dependence.' Kratom users have used the drug to help them kick their OxyContin habit. Despite being a far more addictive substance, OxyContin is a Schedule II drug. Advocates for kratom compare the drug’s addictive power to coffee. No deaths have been linked to the drug....

"Fifty-one lawmakers came together from across the aisle to oppose a kratom ban. One aspect of a proposed ban that stuck in the craw of politicians is that a Schedule I ban prohibits both use of a drug and federally funded research into its potential benefits. Prior scientific research had found that kratom blocks pain receptors and could be an effective tool in combating symptoms of withdrawal. Lawmakers across the country are realizing that in districts that struggle with opioid addiction (and there are many), a victory for kratom could be interpreted as a victory for the beleaguered working class. Backbreaking jobs with gaps in insurance often lead to painkilling abuse, which leads to addiction.

"The kratom reversal came from Congressional activism born from grassroots movements.... Citizen agitation led to coverage from outlets like the Huffington Post and podcasts like Street Fight Radio (hosts Brett Payne and Brian Quimby first brought kratom to my attention). Journalistic research concluded that the Kratom ban was brought about in response to hundred of poison center calls about kratom, even though these calls rarely resulted in medical treatment, and never in serious aid. This signal boost put the issue on the Capitol doorstep. A White House petition created at the end of August garnered 145,000 signatures....

"As we move forward, remember that your advocacy is not limited to the possibilities you are presented by your government. Though the kratom stay may prove only temporary, the tactics its advocates used are permanent. In kratom we can find a valuable lesson: If you want real, effective drug policies in this country, the struggle starts with you."

Read more: https://www.merryjane.com/culture/what-reversed-kratom-ban-teaches-us-about-drug-advocacy-in-america
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