Questions lawmaker’s motivations in banning kratom
Early this year the officials in Columbus, Caledonia and then Lowndes County decided to ban the sale and possession of a product called kratom. Essentially, after listening to the testimony of a task force determined to see this product not on the shelves any longer, all of these jurisdictions created criminals out of peace-loving citizens with the stroke of their pen. Many citizens use this product in a powder or tea format and testify that they receive relief from anxiety, depression, and pain from a variety of debilitating conditions. Our veterans have been known to use it for PTSD, and some individuals who cannot afford to see a doctor and then pay for the prescription opioids to combat their pain will use this product as a healthy alternative. In fact, in May of this year, a U.S. Congressional Committee asked for a study detailing kratom’s (and marijuana’s) effectiveness in combating the opioid epidemic.
In January of this year, Representative Jeff Smith introduced a bill to add kratom to the list of schedule one narcotics — even after the U.S. DEA refused to do so in 2016. This bill was introduced even as other states, such as Georgia were passing legislation to protect kratom in a bill called the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. However, what is interesting is that Representative Smith accepted money from Pfizer, who happens to be the largest U.S. manufacturer of injectable opioid products. Mississippi is not immune to the opioid crisis. I would ask, is a lawmaker trustworthy when they attempt to ban solutions to opioid addiction while taking large donations from opioid manufacturers? Is a lawmaker trustworthy when they deny the right to the individual to seek pain relief so that they can function in their daily life, when it is the source of their ease?
Dathan Lambeth
Hamilton
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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