Why are those who wish to control us threatening us with prison for consuming an Herb, especially one like kratom, with so much potential for good? Of course, the correct answer is "MONEY".
People who are currently making a lot of money selling all sorts of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco -- which are easily far more dangerous than kratom -- are threatened by this herb. More specifically, their incomes are threatened by this herb that, if used with good information, can empower the individual who consumes it with the scary power of breaking old, bad habits without the highly paid help of doctors and professional rehab facilities.
IF we had an enlightened regime in control of our nation, one would think an herb that has already empowered millions of citizens to get off opioids with the loving, free encouragement of their peers, would be welcomed. Instead, we appear to largely be governed by those with a financial interest in keeping us sick, drugged up -- or, if they can't sell us opioids anymore -- now buzzing with electrical devices to manage our pain, because our Medical Doctors have few cures for anything. Still, it's profitable to be a doctor -- so few MDs complain about the limited tools Big Pharma gives them to use!
There's big money to be made by putting people into prison, too, because then you have a captive labor force that can be sold to the highest bidder -- and their upkeep is subsidized by the citizenry. Harmless, nonviolent prisoners, arrested for possession of an herb are the best kind, too.
But again I ask, "Why are we even having this conversation?" Didn't we learned anything from the futile experiment of Prohibition against alcohol in the 1920s and 1930s? It didn't stop anyone from drinking; it just made selling booze a lot more profitable for organized criminals.
The FDA and DEA, with their scare tactics, are actually promoting abuse of kratom with the lurid ways they describe it. Anyone with a good understanding of human nature will recognize the appeal of "Forbidden Pleasures". It appears that our ruling class wants to cultivate a dumbed-down, obedient population, rather than compassionately teach respect and wise practices in using herbs for constructive purposes.
The odd thing is that kratom is about the most benign herb ever encountered. People of average intelligence quickly realize that it does not reward those who abuse it and actually punishes(with vomiting and a headache, but not death) those who take far more than is necessary.
It may be unrealistic, but I'd like to see our government stop treating us like dumb brutes that must be terrorized into behaving as they see fit. There are a few regulatory measures the FDA is already empowered to take to minimize abuse, so why don't we redirect them to serving the public interest instead of wasteing their time (and our tax money) on demonizing this herb that is harmless when used with a correct understanding of its nature and potential.