Co-Sign the AKA Statement to the Presidential Commission on the Opioid Crisis!

PLEASE add your name as a co-signer to the American Kratom Association's Statement to the Presidential Commission on the Opioid Crisis!!!

     The American Kratom Association has been invited to speak before the Presidential Commission regarding the Opioid Crisis on August 31, 2017. This is very important because the Commission has been tasked with trying to find the best ways to successfully combat the Opioid Crisis. The statement describes a brief history of Kratom, the many benefits it provides, and how significant a role Kratom already plays in fighting the epidemic. Once the Commission completes their hearings, research, and investigations, they will present their recommendations to the President. Our hope is that Kratom finds itself on that list. This would provide a massive boost to Kratom's reputation in Washington.
     I believe the President simply doesn't have the time to conduct a personal evaluation of Kratom and therefore, he will look to his advisers; namely the DEA and FDA. We already know what they would recommend to the President. If the Presidential Commission adds Kratom to their list of recommendations, the President will read some significantly positive material on Kratom, which will obviously bring Kratom closer to its continued legality and renewing hope throughout the Kratom community.
     The AKA is asking for people to become "co-signers" for the statement that will be read to the Commission. The AKA has made available the full statement that will be read before the Commission. If you agree with their statement, please take the 30 seconds and sign using your name, email address (only used as verification that you're a real person), city, and state.

Full statement to the Presidential Commission on the Opioid Crisis (click here).
If the link to the AKA statement doesn't work, click here. I posted it on my Blogger.

Sign the certification to add your name as a co-signer to the AKA statement (click here).

A Future Without Kratom?

As Kratom consumers, we hope for the best. But we should also plan for the worst. Nothing would be more frightening than Kratom suddenly being stripped from those who benefit greatly from its effects. As we cross our fingers and pray to every God, Deity, entity, spirit, and force imaginable to keep Kratom in our lives, we should view the full scope of reality; one that may not have Kratom available to us. Facing reality, Kratom is under the gun by our government, whether it's the DEA or the FDA or Congress. There is a chance that we may lose the battle for our health and happiness.
I have been a daily Kratom consumer for several years now. It helps combat my pain in profound ways. I've never used anything in place of Kratom because it has worked so well for me since the beginning. I do not know what I would do if I suddenly had no access to Kratom. Prescription opioids is not an option for me. I doubt they would be possible to obtain anyway, with the government's war on opioids happening and all. Therefore, we don't have many choices for alternatives.
The way I see it, either I would have to stop taking Kratom and deal with my pain as best I can, or I can find the best alternative possible. So I created this page to explore options. There are a number of different botanicals, herbs, extracts, and solutions out there which claim some level of alternative to Kratom, and I'm on the hunt to find them. As I find new articles, discussions, and remedies, I will post them here. I also threw a link into my Kratom Web Links page.
If you find anything out there that can aid in the substitution of Kratom, or can provide assistance for the transition from Kratom to another remedy, please leave a comment in the Kratom Alternatives page. Thank you very much and keep up the fight!

Is Your U.S. Representative/Senator On This List???

This is a list of U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators that are currently sponsoring and co-sponsoring the SITSA Act legislation. If you find your legislator on this list, PLEASE take the time to visit their contact page and send them a message urging them to amend the bill to exclude any substances that are NOT synthetic in nature (to be more specific, natural botanicals; or even more specifically, Kratom).
Click a name on the list to be taken directly to their contact page. I also included their phone number, which is said by many to be the most effective way to convey your message to your legislators.

Unfamiliar with the SITSA Act?
SITSA stands for: "Stop the Importation and Trafficking of Synthetic Analogues Act of 2017"
-   How does the SITSA Act allow for a ban on Kratom?
-   Full text of the Senate-proposed SITSA Act
-   Full text of the House-proposed SITSA Act


House Bill: H.R.2851 - SITSA Act
Sponsor:  Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24] - (202)-225-3701


House Co-sponsors:
Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY-4] - (202)-225-5516

Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6] - (202)-225-5431

Rep. Gowdy, Trey [R-SC-4] - (202)-225-6030

Rep. Faso, John J. [R-NY-19] - (202)-225-5614

Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7] - (202)-225-2011

Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] - (202)-225-4611

Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-2] - (202)-225-7896

Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5] - (202)-225-5101

Rep. Rooney, Thomas J. [R-FL-17] - (202)-225-5792

Rep. Smith, Lamar [R-TX-21] - (202)-225-4236

Rep. Marino, Tom [R-PA-10] - (202)-225-3731

Rep. Farenthold, Blake [R-TX-27] - (202)-225-7742

Rep. Donovan, Daniel M., Jr. [R-NY-11] - (202)-225-3371

Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10] - (202)-225-6465

Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9] - (202)-225-9888

Rep. Curbelo, Carlos [R-FL-26] - (202)-225-2778

Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-3] - (202)-225-5406

Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1] - (202)-225-5311

Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16] - (202)-225-2411

Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] - (202)-225-4465

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-8] - (202)-225-4276


Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5] - (202)-225-5121

Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-25] - (202)-225-5836

Rep. Costello, Ryan A. [R-PA-6] - (202)-225-4315

Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] - (202)-225-5601

Rep. Rothfus, Keith J. [R-PA-12] - (202)-225-2065





Senate Bill: S.1327 - SITSA Act
Sponsor:   Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] - (202)-224-3744


Senate Co-Sponsors:
Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] - (202)-224-3841

Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] - (202)-224-5323

Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] -  (202)-224-3244

How to Avoid the Bitterness of Kratom Powder

I thought I would share my Kratom intake method. The Key? Orange Juice. This is the best way you can consume Kratom and minimize the horrible aftertaste. This is best for daily users since taking Kratom is never an enjoyable experience and if you're like me, it gets worse over time if I do anything other than this method. I sometimes take with water if I have no juice and its awful. It's pretty tough to get it down, especially with warm water. Yuck!! But if I must use H2O, Ice water softens the blow. I've been told that using a few drops of cooking oil will prevent the mixture from foaming (if you use with water, not OJ).

What you need:
- Powder Kratom
- A can of frozen orange juice concentrate from the store (costs me $2.00). Fresh OJ works too for a higher cost (when using with Kratom, you can’t taste the difference).
- 12 oz plastic orange juice bottle (empty)
- A small cup
- Pocket-sized digital scale
- Spoon for scooping Kratom
- Small funnel
- A folded paper towel


Steps:
1.   The first thing you do is measure out your Kratom dose. Place the plastic cup onto the scale and turn the scale on. Next, Measure the dose that works for you using a spoon. If you are unsure, start small (2-3 grams). You can take a little more if you feel no effects after 45 minutes.

2.   hen your dose is ready, take the pitcher of OJ and pour a small amount into the 12oz orange juice bottle, adding 1 ounce of juice for every 2 grams of Kratom. Make sure the orange juice is real cold.

3.   Next, add the Kratom powder to the bottle. Use a funnel to add the Kratom to the orange juice.

4.   Tighten the cap of the 12oz OJ bottle and shake vigorously. Either shake for 15 seconds or count by 4s up to 13 (1,2,3,4; 2,2,3,4; 3,2,3,4; 4,2,3,4; etc).

5.   As soon as you finish shaking the Kratom and OJ together in the 12oz bottle, stand in front of the sink and immediately drink it down as fast as possible. After you chug the Kratom, the bitter aftertaste will start building in your mouth after a few seconds. Once empty, quickly put a splash of tap water in the bottle, cap the bottle, give 2-3 good shakes, uncap, and drink the splash of water. Repeat the splash of water as needed.

6.   Rinse your mouth with water. Drinking a couple gulps of regular juice works too. Then eat something sweet. I always eat 2 Hershey Kisses after "doing the juice".

7.   Rinse out the empty juice bottle well, as well as the cap, and set upside down on a folded paper towel for drying. Place the cap onto the paper towel for drying.


*Extra Tips*
- Either store the empty 12oz bottle without the cap on, or add 4 Oz orange juice in the bottle and place in the fridge for the next dose.
- Over time your 12oz bottle will start getting dirty from repetitive Kratom use. I get a new one every month. But you can clean with soap and water every few weeks and use the bottle indefinitely, if you’re strapped for cash.

It sounds like a lot to go through, but trust me, it doesn’t take long to master the process. It takes me 5 minutes to do everything from measuring out the Kratom dose to eating my sweet treat. Hope this makes your experience as painless as possible!

Blog Mission

Kratom is an essential botanical remedy derived from Southeast Asia that helps millions of people with ailments around the world, including chronic pain, depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and more. There can never be enough information to boost Kratom's reputation. The purpose of my blog is to provide as much information as I possibly can, as a resource to myself and others.
Primary topics will include:
- Why choose Kratom?
- My Kratom experience
- My ongoing opinions in the Kratom world
- Vendors I've tried and my critique
- Kratom news
- Ongoing federal Kratom legislation
- Kratom studies and surveys
- Links to Kratom websites
- Kratom videos
- Links to Kratom information