Oppose Kratom Scheduling Bills

Dear [Lawmaker],

I am writing as an Iowa resident to urge you to oppose SF 2013 and HSB 508.

These bills would schedule natural kratom, making it illegal for Iowans to purchase a legal dietary supplement that has been sold in the United States for decades and is used responsibly by many adults. In recent years, however, bad actors have introduced synthetic and concentrated products, falsely labeled as kratom, that are materially different from the natural botanical leaf and raise legitimate public-health concerns.

That is why the FDA and HHS, in a joint press conference with the DEA to announce coordinated federal action to schedule concentrated synthetic 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance. They made it clear that the FDA is not targeting natural kratom leaf which has been consumed safely for centuries.

Following this action, States like Kentucky and Florida have followed suit by also moving forward with the emergency scheduling of concentrated synthetic 7-OH while maintaining access to natural leaf kratom. In each instance they scheduled any product that contains a level of 7OH above 400 parts per million by dried weight.

Those synthetic products should be removed from the market. But the natural kratom leaf should not be scheduled. It can — and should — be regulated.

Eighteen states have adopted this balanced approach: prohibit the dangerous synthetics while regulating natural kratom. I urge Iowa lawmakers to follow this model by stopping the advancement of these bills or amending them accordingly.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
______

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