FDA, DEA Launch Massive Assault On Kratom – Drug War For Miracle Plant Ramping Up

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
November 16, 2017

To no one's surprise, the U.S. government, after hysterically declaring a "national emergency" over America's opioid crisis, is once again setting its sights on Kratom, the non-addictive natural plant that has helped thousands of Americans wean themselves off opioids.

In 2015, the DEA announced its plans to place Kratom on the list of Controlled Substances (in the same scheduling level as heroin to be exact) but, amid public outcry, the agency backed off, deferring to FDA "review" and "advice." Many optimistic  Kratom activists were tempted to rest on their laurels, trusting that the FDA would prove to be more reasonable in relation to Kratom and hoping the testimonials, overwhelming public support for Kratom, and the science itself would win the day.

As is typically the case in life, the optimists were sorely disappointed.

The FDA, long known to be essentially run by Big Pharma, has now joined the ranks of the DEA (which also placed CBD oil on the list of controlled substances on the same level as heroin) in a scathing attack on Kratom, signalling that the end may be nigh for the miracle plant if activists do not succeed in fighting back both behemoth agencies who act as the enforcement arms of Big Pharma, the private prison industry, and the police state.

As the Washington Post reported,

The Food and Drug Administration issued a strong warning Tuesday to consumers to stay away from the herbal supplement kratom, saying regulators are aware of 36 deaths linked to products containing the substance.

Congress Goes After Kratom, Attempts To Expand Drug War

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

July 5, 2017

With the 4th of July holiday having just passed, there’s nothing to remind Americans of their freedom more than the staggering speed at which their government has taken and continues to take it away.

After having come under attack by one of the most useless organizations in the federal government – the DEA – kratom survived only to be attacked by state governments all over the country. But because more and more Americans have realized that decades of propaganda coming from the DEA and other government organs regarding drugs is utter bullshit, many more Americans have tried kratom, which only entrenched their view that the DEA is more concerned in mission creep than anything resembling public health.

This is clearly the case since the DEA recently labeled CBD oil as a Schedule 1 drug. While the DEA may feel proud of itself for being able to reclassify a non-psychoactive substance in the same schedule as heroin, it simply reaffirmed its belligerence to individual rights and its obvious connection to Big Pharma and Big Prison in the eyes of many Americans.

While the DEA was forced to back down last year, the federal government is once again creating a platform for a War on Drugs renewed. This is likely coming as a result of drug war relic Jeff Sessions’ fanatical desire to increase the police state and throw more Americans in cages.

DEA Quietly Removes Damning Report On Marijuana “Dangers”

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

February 23, 2017

The recent removal of a 45-page document from the DEA’s website now has many pro-cannabis activists claiming a small victory.

The document entitled “The Dangers and Consequences of Marijuana Abuse” listed various nonsensical claims such as that marijuana causes addiction and is a gateway drug.

The document also suggests that marijuana use results in delinquent behavior. One statement found on page 7 sums up the DEA position by saying, “Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety. It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers.”

Surprisingly, the DEA document did not contain the full length feature film Reefer Madness to back up its claims. We feel sure that a movie showing violent, homicidal, race-mixing “marijuana addicts” would have really driven the point home.

Regardless, the DEA document was the subject of a campaign launched by Americans for Safe Access, a cannabis advocacy group who filed a petition in late 2016 arguing the DEA provided false statements and shaped public policy toward cannabis. As a result of those statements, the ASA filed its petition under the Information Quality Act.

As the Cannabist writes,

Time Is Running Out To Stop Kratom Ban – Need Comments To DEA

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

November 15, 2016

When the DEA announced that it was backing off of its decision to go through emergency procedures to place kratom on the Schedule 1 list of controlled substances, kratom proponents all over the country rejoiced. This meant that the announcement of the DEA’s intentions only 30 days prior would not take effect at the beginning of October.

Unfortunately, it appears that most kratom activists completely misinterpreted the DEA’s decision. Pulling away from listing kratom as Schedule 1 was not a decision against banning kratom. It was only a decision to stop pursuing the ban in an emergency fashion.

Basically, the DEA is marching forward with its plan to ban the herb but it wants to give the illusion of democracy and freedom before it does so.

The DEA announcement essentially postpones the ban as the agency takes comments from the public regarding their opinions and experiences with the plant. Unfortunately, however, the jubilation of many kratom activists seems to have overtaken pragmatism and strategy since the turnout of posting comments is drastically lower than the turnout in the month of September when users thought the substance was going to be banned.

In order to keep kratom legal it is imperative that all people of goodwill immediately mobilize and begin to take the simplest of actions such as posting public comments in the appropriate place on the DEA website. The comment period has a small window of opportunity only lasting until December 1st, 2016.

Denver Backs Off Kratom Ban, But DEA Still Poised To Ban

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

October 22, 2016

In another small victory for kratom and kratom freedom, Denver, Colorado’s Department of Environmental Health has announced its plan to lift the ban on kratom in the city. The announcement comes only weeks after the DEH ordered stores all across the city to stop selling kratom and kratom products.

The DEH order came as a result of an announcement by the DEA of the latter’s intention to place kratom on schedule one of the Controlled Substances List. The DEA ridiculously labeled kratom as an imminent threat and produced hyped nonsensical evidence to only half-way prove its case.

This police state measure resulted in a massive backlash from kratom users, kratom proponents and supporters of individual freedom. As a result of the massive pressure applied to the DEA and the members of Congress, the DEA backed off its original plan to ban kratom at the end of August and instead is waiting for a public comment period to take place as well as input from the FDA.

Danica Lee, the Director on Inspections at the Denver Department of Environmental Health stated that, “The DEA’s recent actions suggest that they may not think these products pose an imminent health hazard as they initially indicated. If new information comes to our attention about the hazards posed by these products, DEH will evaluate it and make adjustments, if need be, to remain protective of public health.”

Despite these minor victories, kratom is by no means out of the woods. The DEA has merely kicked the can down the road for a few months, conveniently during the holidays when most Americans are concerned with shopping and family matters.

DEA Adds Kratom To Its War On Drugs Even As Health Researchers Cite Benefits

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
September 12, 2016

In the so-called freest country in the world, it is an unfortunate reality when human beings are thrown into cages simply for possessing or ingesting a plant. It is even more a tragedy when those individuals locked away are sick or ill and when the plant they are being locked away for possessing could have aided, controlled or even cured their infliction.

More and more Americans, despite the panic of organizations like the FDA and Big Pharma, have been turning to natural supplements or natural substances such as cannabis to provide them with the treatment and assistance they need to get by from day to day. While those seeking help from cannabis run the risk of imprisonment, the destruction of their lives and even death - not from the plant but from law enforcement personnel and the legal system - there are some alternative natural substances and plants which have grown in popularity. One of these substances is known as Mitragyna Speciosa or Kratom.

Mitragyna Speciosa aka kratom is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family which is native to Southeast Asia. Although not an opiate itself, kratom can be used to manage pain and anxiety as well as alcohol dependence. It is possible to use kratom recreationally but the effects are generally too mild to classify it as anything resembling a drug.

Kratom, although not an opiate, does function in a similar manner to opiates i.e., attaching to activating opioid receptors. Studies in mice have actually demonstrated impressive results in overcoming addiction to cocaine. Many kratom users have also sung the plant's praises in regards to heroin addiction. Kratom users also claim that the substance is an excellent substitute for prescription pain medication as well as the addiction that comes with prescribed opiates.

Kratom Helped Me Turn My Life Around, Now The DEA Has Banned It

Morgan Joylighter

BrandonTurbeville.com

September 8, 2016

My fundamental issue has always been that I was raised by physically and emotionally abusive parents in near-cult-like isolation. That compromised my social skills, ability to feel relaxed or safe in normal human circumstances, and baseline neurochemistry in regards to contentment, happiness, and pleasure . I have spent most of my life bouncing around between one addiction or compulsive destructive behavior and another, trying to find ways to temporarily fill the void I felt by being unable to see myself as a good person, feel loved, enjoy normal social activities without anxiety and self-loathing, or even keep my neurochemistry at a high enough level to avoid feeling suicidally depressed for much more than half of the time. I was bipolar, manic depressive, had multiple anxiety disorders and probably ADHD besides, and between all of those I was on a constant roller coaster of either hating being alive or madly trying to distract myself from that fact with various pleasures. I accumulated a number of different vices over the years and cycled through countless attempts to quit them, only to see myself forced to swap one for another as the underlying issues went unaddressed and seemed increasingly unaddressable.

Unlike some kratom users I never actually delved into illegal drugs, but that was more a function of lack of opportunity caused by my sheltered upbringing than anything else. Even so, I found just about every other possible way to further screw up my health, and just about the best thing I can say for myself is that being a highly empathetic person, I kept my issues to myself and for the most part suffered in my own private hell, for fear of dragging anyone else down with me. But despite various attempts at trying psychology, psychiatry, and both mainstream and alternative health advice, I did not find any relief for my issues, and eventually began to despair that I would ever become the person I felt like I was born to be, a creative and cheerful novelist with a healthy social life who makes better the lives of everyone I come in contact with.

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - September 5, 2016

Brandon Turbeville
BrandonTurbeville.com
UCY.TV
September 6, 2016

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - September 5, 2016

ACCESS THE PROGRAM HERE

ACCESS THE TRUTH AND THE TRACKS ARCHIVES HERE

Brandon discusses Yemen, the Turkish invasion of Syria, and the DEA Kratom ban. He also discusses ACTION ALERTS and STRATEGY POINTS being added to the site for greater political action and activism.

DEA Plays Dumb After Eviscerating Criticism of Kratom Ban: Kratom March is September 13

Brandon Turbeville and Cassius Kamarampi

Era Of Wisdom

September 4, 2016

The DEA extended its authority far past what this weary public will tolerate.

Trying to ban kratom is a futile death knell of the drug war, futile if only we continue standing up and flexing our rights.

Public outcry, an unrelenting bombardment of opposition is here to set the record straight: kratom cannot be overdosed on, is relatively innocuous and it is our natural right to consume kratom if we please. It hasn’t worked well for government, using force to try and stop people from ingesting substances in this drug war. We would clearly be foolish to continue tolerating this.

It looks like our efforts are already paying off: perhaps shocked by the uproar, DEA spokesman Melvin Patterson said“Shame on everyone who wasn’t researching it before. Now you start hearing the stories about how it’s benefiting someone suffering from arthritis.”

“If someone can find a medical use by it, by all means, we’re in favor of it,” he continued.

We already understand the medicinal value of kratom or lack thereof, and we’re fully capable of figuring that out for ourselves, DEA.

To see the full perspective, just look at what the FDA, DEA, and their armed agents do to people who produce natural supplements and nutritious, innocuous products: they crack down on them with thuggish, ruthless force to squeeze them out of business.

It’s Time To Abolish The DEA

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

August 31, 2016

The Drug Enforcement Agency has long targeted Americans with the most non-sensical and ridiculous type of propaganda in order to convince them that the agency itself is actually useful and not the scourge of a civilized nation that it truly is. After all, if you are going to continue to launch a full-on military operation and establish a police state against adults who choose to consume specific plants, throwing otherwise peaceful people into cages, ruining their lives, and even killing them in the process, you need some rather extreme and immediate reason to continue to exist.

For this reason, the DEA – in addition to fleets of aircraft, military uniforms, machine guns, and other forms of war gear – has been funded liberally for over forty years for the purpose of waging war against the same taxpayers who are forced to fund it. But in addition to the hardware, the DEA is also tasked with convincing Americans the drug war is just and that it must be won, much less waged. Indeed, the DEA needs to justify its robbing, pillaging, and killing of American citizens to the same American citizens who the DEA will rob, pillage, and kill.

As a result, we see the most ridiculous types of propaganda – from deformed boneless teenagers (caused by marijuana) to zombies (caused by marijuana) and even the drunken businessman who inadvertently funds al-Qaeda by buying weed at a swanky nightclub, we are constantly reminded that a world in which adults can freely choose what they put into their own bodies is merely a step in the direction to a world of crack-smoking toddlers, elementary schools full of heroin addicts, and puppies tripping on acid. We get it. If we don’t have a paramilitary police force doing everything we were told only anti-American tyrants do overseas, the world will come to a fiery end.

But what if everything or, at least the majority, that the DEA has fed to us in its decades-long existence is simply bullshit? What if marijuana isn’t the same as heroin? What if kratom is not the same as either? What if, in a free society, adults do have the right to take LSD if they want? What if the United States didn’t waste so much money on preventing allegedly free adults from consuming substances they obviously want to consume? What if the United States didn’t waste incredible fortunes on the prison industrial complex and putting nonviolent people behind bars? What if the United States did not have the highest incarceration rate in the world while still lecturing other countries on freedom and democracy overseas?

CDC Launches War On Kratom; Evidence Who Needs It?

Brandon Turbeville

Natural Blaze

August 15, 2016

As kratom, a natural pain reliever that has also been known to assist in breaking addiction becomes more and more popular, the Police State and the Nanny State are doing their best to tag-team yet another plant and the concept of individual rights.

Demonstrating how so much “science” in modern America isn’t scientific at all, theCDC has now released a report claiming that kratom is “an emerging public health threat.”

Released on July 29th, the CDC’s report cites the National Institute of Drug Abuseand a hodgepodge of stories alleging side effects from the herb in order to make its declaration. The CDC also cites one of the biggest blights of American society and notoriously corrupt panic-driven organizations known as the Drug Enforcement Administration in its own report regarding the safety of kratom.

The CDC cites a number of alleged kratom-related deaths in the United States as well as DEA hysteria to show that kratom is a becoming potentially dangerous health issue and to justify the flurry of laws dedicated to banning the substance in various states.

The NIDA alleges that kratom can cause psychosis, seizures and death.

Despite the panic of the CDC, NIDA and the DEA, the death allegedly associated with kratom is murky to say the least. Much of the reports are based upon calls to poison control centers which do not indicate side effects, dangers, safety or anything other than the fact that individuals consume the substance and became concerned enough to call the hotline.

For instance, poison control centers are often contacted by individuals who consume marijuana, a substance for which no one has ever died. In fact, a video of a police officer who had confiscated marijuana from a suspect and consumed it at home with his wife went viral after the officer called 911 for medical assistance believing that he and his wife were dead. Does this mean that marijuana now officially causes death? Does a phone call make a substance dangerous or is it the nature of the substance itself?

DEA To Look At “Rescheduling” Marijuana Over Next Few Months

Brandon Turbeville
Natural Blaze
April 7, 2016

It is one of the most tragically comedic aspects of the War on Drugs that marijuana is classed in the same category as heroin and LSD by the U.S. Federal Government. Such a ridiculous classification would truly be worth laughing at if it did not bring along with it mass incarcerations, militaristic policing, untold millions of wasted money and a general police state.

The utterly useless Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) currently lists marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, a list reserved for “the most dangerous drugs” that have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” If one did not suspect that the U.S. Government’s War on Drugs was actually a cover for enslaving its citizenry, then he would be justified in wondering where the DEA has intellectually been since it was created.

Just to clarify – according to the DEA, marijuana is significantly more dangerous than cocaine. (Yes, you read that right.) That classification, however, might potentially change over the next few months. That is because the DEA has announced plans to decide “in the first half of 2016” whether or not the agency will reschedule marijuana. If the DEA should indeed reclassify the plant down to either Schedule 2 or Schedule 3, the decision would most likely open the door much wider when it comes to greater research regarding marijuana’s medicinal value.

The legal marijuana industry also stands to gain from any reclassification. But before anyone gets too excited, the DEA and the Federal Government are not suggesting that marijuana become legal at the federal level – it is only suggesting the reclassification of the plant. In other words, the U.S. Government is itself attempting to reclassify its policy on marijuana from incurable insanity to crippling and severe mental health issues.

Long Prison Term Given to Man Who Shot DEA Agent He Thought Was Home Intruder

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post
July 10, 2015

On a brisk fall night in Orangeburg, SC, Joel Robinson awoke in the hours just before dawn to the sound of intruders. These intruders had burst into Robinson’s house unwelcome and unannounced, storming inside with guns drawn.

Fearing for his life, Robinson did what any self-respecting and threatened individual would do – he picked up his gun and fired on the assailants, hitting one in the arm. Unfortunately for Robinson, these assailants were DEA agents, a special kind of home intruder who believe they have the right to invade a person’s home in the middle of the night, draw guns on them, and face no repercussions.

Again, unfortunately for Robinson, the judicial system seems to agree with the DEA in that they are not only above the law but clearly a higher class of citizen that has the authority to violate every right in the book, threaten citizens with death and bodily harm, and there is nothing the victim can do but beg for the officers’ kindness not to kill him.

In fact, that is virtually what the court proceedings have revealed in Robinson’s trial.

Joel Robinson was given 8 years in prison for shooting the DEA agent Barry Wilson. Robinson shot Wilson in the arm, breaking his elbow and forearm. While Wilson should be apologetic and thankful to Robinson that this illegal and aggressive action did not result in the loss of his life, Wilson instead chose to dramatize the issue by stating, “Two inches higher, it would have been a head shot. Two inches lower, it could have gone under my (bulletproof) vest.”