Innocent Woman Facing Life in Prison for Legally Purchasing Kratom & Driving 200 Feet Into Alabama

In a disgusting display of what's fundamentally wrong with America's drug war, Shaina Brown, an entirely innocent woman, who harmed no one, finds herself locked up behind bars, slapped with an egregious $1,000,000 bail, later lowered to a still absurdly high $250,000, all for the mere possession of a plant she bought legally, just 200 feet away from where she was arrested. The plant in question? Kratom, a botanical supplement that has been vilified by a select few states and the federal government, despite it being perfectly legal in the majority of the US, including where Brown had initially bought it. It is also extremely safe when consumed properly.

As Pain Sufferers Turn to the Herb Kratom in Place of Opioid Drugs States Try to Ban It

Kratom, an ancient Southeast Asian herb used for reducing pain, increasing energy, and withdrawing from opioids is currently undergoing threats of being banned by individual states, adding to the seven states that have already banned it. Prior to this, kratom users survived a national threat of being classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance by the DEA in 2016, which would make it illegal to have and use under any circumstances. Kratom's use originated in Southeast Asia centuries ago. It helped addicts get off opium and helped bolster energy and attitude while maintaining alertness for those traveling through or exploring dense jungle environments under hot, humid conditions. Since then, there have been governmental controversies surrounding kratom's use despite testimonies of its safe usefulness by many. Some nations have restricted or banned its use. The state-by-state threats of banning kratom are a result of FDA and media reports of deaths among kratom users that have shown to be inaccurate and misleading. Kratom advocates maintain that kratom's benefits far outweigh its perceived harms. And they are campaigning to keep pure kratom products available for self-medicating while avoiding opioid drugs.

Kratom: Why is the FDA Banning this Herb that Helps Break Addiction to Opioid Drug Addicts?

Within weeks of denying an anticipated change in the DEA's classification of cannabis as a schedule I controlled substance, the DEA has announced plans to post another harmless plant as schedule I by September 30th, 2016. The newly posted schedule I substance is kratom. Schedule I is a category of drugs the DEA considers dangerous, subject to abuse, and addictive. The DEA has many drugs like that in other more permissive categories, but the clincher for cannabis and now kratom is that they supposedly "lack medical merit." And how does the DEA know whether or not a “controlled substance” has or doesn't have medical merit? They rely on the FDA's word, the same government agency that the pharmaceutical industry pays over $2 million for each drug's license to market. Throughout the nation, many have been using kratom leaf teas or powders and capsules to help them withdraw successfully from opioid painkillers and that other street drug opioid, heroin. Kratom has been used traditionally for opiate withdrawal primarily in Southeast Asia for centuries.