I have struggled with restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and anxiety for many years. I tried every medication available for restless leg syndrome, but none provided relief without causing debilitating side effects. The restless legs were the biggest barrier to sleep, and without proper rest I was unable to function normally. At one point, my lack of sleep nearly cost me my job. I often wondered how I could continue living like this.

About two years ago, I discovered kratom. After carefully researching it, I began taking a small amount at night. I can’t explain how wonderful it was to be able to lie still for the first time in years! Kratom has been the only thing that has ever effectively relieved my restless leg symptoms and insomnia—without any negative side effects. For the first time in years, I was able to sleep consistently. Because of that, I can now function like a normal person: I can work, participate in daily life, and feel present again. It also helps me with anxiety when needed and with some severe back pain I get after working a really long day.

Without kratom, I truly believe I would not be able to function as I do today. For me, it has been life-changing. I strongly support responsible regulation, including quality control and age restrictions. However, I respectfully ask that it not be banned entirely. Kratom is genuinely helping people like me who use it responsibly and rely on it to live a productive, healthy life.

Please do not ban kratom as it is a useful and natural way to combat opiate addiction. It is generally safe and I know many people who use it daily to stay away from other drugs and prescription pills.

It is not a substance that has a profound effect on behavior and it can in fact make some people more productive members of society. I know several people who are functioning members of society that may be in that position only because of their kratom use.

Kratom has saved my life in so many ways. It’s the reason I stopped drinking (from border-line alcoholic to zero drinks).

It’s the only thing that helps with my chronic pain. I don’t even think about pain killers now.

Kratom makes me a better person and employee. Without kratom I wouldn’t be able to work my intense 8-12 hour job. Kratom keeps my back/arm/leg pain at bay to push myself and the energy to make it to the end of my shift.

Kratom helps so much with my debilitating anxiety.

I can’t imagine going without it. Kratom is natural and safe. It would destroy me to be without it. My job is constant moving and heavy lifting. At home I have a special needs daughter who needs a lot of help.

Kratom keeps me going at work and at home. It keeps me positive in a bad economy; moving faster than everyone when I’m dead tired; pain-free when before I would reach for drugs/alcohol.

This simple leaf has changed my life. If you ban it you might as well ban coffee

I started taking lab tested kratom powder in 2017 after I went to treatment for benzos, I had horrible anxiety and needed something to help but I became so addicted to benzos I was having to take them every day or I would have seizures. I have now been sober from prescription medication because of Kratom and it helping my anxiety. It does not feel the same but it helps subside it so I can be a functioning member of society without being under the influence of pills or having crippling anxiety causing me to hardly leave my home. I am a mom to a 2 year old boy and I also work a full time job, I show up for my son and I do an amazing job at my place of employment which I couldn’t say the same back before 2017 before I discovered kratom and it changed my life for the better!

The 7oh is not the same as the Kratom leaf powder, I agree that 7oh should not be sold in gas stations, but the lab tested Kratom powder has helped so many people including me self able to live normal lives. If you ban kratom I’m afraid that my anxiety will come back so bad that I’m afraid I would lose my job from not being able to function normally and have such a hard time even getting out of bed from so much anxiety that my son would lose the fun playful mother that he has now. Please reconsider and look more into it cause 7oh is NOT the same as pure unadulterated Kratom leaf powder

My story begins in 1998 when I was involved in a car wreck that broke my femur. I had a rod placed in my leg but I ended up having severe chronic pain including lower back issues. Initially I was prescribed opiates intermittently since the pain was also intermittent. As policies for prescriptions changed, I ultimately went the route of pain management since often getting pain care would be impossible otherwise. I spent about 10 years on medically prescribed opiates. Rather than taking them only when the pain occurred, I was required to continually take them so that I could stay on a pain management program. This of course desensitized me in dosages increased. Doctors advised me that due to the Tylenol in these medications that I probably would only have a couple more years to live before liver failure. This is when I switched to tramadol but about a month in this ended up causing me to have a grand male seizure which tore my breathing diaphragm and significantly caused paying for about 3 months. Doctors, of course wanted to prescribe a permanent course of anti-seizure medication for life. I rejected this idea and quit all pain medication cold turkey.

Not too long after I discovered Kratom. It was life-changing because I could take it when I needed it rather than all of the time. It didn't cloud in my mind or affect my daily functions. In fact, rather than being medically dependent through doctor prescriptions which we're destroying my health and quality of life. I found something that gave me back the quality of life that was easily managed without any adverse effects.

For over 12 years I've been taking Kratom raw leaf powder. Many days I either forget to take it or simply do not need it. On the days and weeks that I do have pain flare-up issues. It is a lifesaver and I'm I'm extremely grateful that I do not have to spend hours at a doctor's office or emergency room describing my pains and symptoms.

Mike McKell refuses to hear any logical facts that support the safety profile of rawle leaf Kratom. He conflates many statistics and spreads completely fear-based propaganda by stating things like Kratom is more powerful than morphine without describing the underlying facts that it simply has a higher affinity, just like caffeine has a high affinity to binding then cocaine. This does not make Kratom more dangerous. In fact, I believe banning the product in the first kcpa state would simply lead to an an unregulated underground market of other synthetic opioids and existing opioids. Well, this would be beneficial to politicians since they would be able to wash their hands of accountability and blame all of the problems onto something that is illegal, it actually compounds the opioid crisis in Utah by removing a safe, proven and regulated option.

Revising the current existing regulations would solve most problems. We could ban selling Kratom in convenience stores (also consider that dextromethorphan is a hallucinogen and disassociative which is widely available in any gas stations already).

The current Utah regulations have the complete ability to regulate who can qualify to sell products and which products are safe to sell. This could include removing 70h or reducing the levels or even just regulating it to the extent that only raw leaf powder could be purchased in the state.

Mike McKell has specifically made condescending comments to Kratom advocates on social media implying that they are addicts rather than people managing pain. This no doubt points to his condescending attitude towards the people that he pretends to want to help (addicts). On the other hand, he seemingly does not seem to care about those impacted that are managing their pain, leading productive law abiding lives. His ban would immediately create criminals out of people who are otherwise great citizens with functioning lives and families of all backgrounds."

Please do not ban kratom in Utah. It has been the only relief I have found for the Willis Ekbom disease I suffer from. I’ve tried so many prescriptions and they just do not help. Please allow me to be able to get at least some rest. Thank you for understanding

I work in a tobacco store. At this store we sell Kratom products. I've seen many people lean into kratom to help with long term pain. Many people are able to get away from synthetic medications using Kratom. From what I've seen my customers seem very pleased with the Kratom in comparison to the synthetics. To imply that Kratom is more dangerous than prescription medication is not true. Please let people have the FREEDOM to make their own choices as to what they choose to put into their body. I am in support of regulation of Kratom products but certainly not a outright Ban

I started using kratom after try different anti depressants that never worked and gave me bad side effects. Natural kratom has helped me considerably. I’m also a breast cancer survivor and it has helped me with my pain and depression. Please don’t take this away from us. I can’t take the medications that are prescribed as they don’t help me Like kratom does. I don’t know much about the synthetic one sold in gas stations nor would I ever want to try it but please don’t take the natural kratom from us

Kratom has made a big difference in my life

I first discovered kratom about 22 years ago when I was looking for a natural anxiolytic and relaxant to help me relieve chronic anxiety and depression. I found this plant to be up to the task and began using it on an occasional basis prepared as a tea. I found it to be a gentle relaxant with no obvious side-effects and it did have a positive impact on my anxiety and depression.

And then in 2005 I incurred a serious spinal injury which resulted in severe chronic pain in my lower back and legs. In 2006 I had a 2-level spinal fusion which alleviated some of the leg pain, but also caused additional chronic pain in my lower back and hips. Since that time I have suffered from incurable chronic nerve and musculoskeletal pain and was put on prescription opiate therapy for many years.

While the opiates were a blessing, they were also a curse as the Tylenol that comes with them was taking a toll on my liver. About 18 years ago I made the choice to begin using kratom along with legal medical cannabis to alleviate my pain as well as to reduce the opiates needed to control it. To my surprise I found that a combination of cannabis and kratom were superior to my prescription opiates for relieving pain, while also continuing to positively impact my anxiety and depression issues. I gradually made the switch and I have now been free of prescription opiates entirely for the past 10 years, the past 4 using only kratom for pain relief.

For me and many thousands of others, many whom I know personally, this plant is a miracle. In my long relationship with this plant, I have never found it addictive or harmful in any way. Please study this plant further and understand how good it can be for help in managing chronic pain and other detrimental conditions such as severe depression and anxiety (it has also been widely used as a safer alternative to alcohol).

I ask the everyone please oppose any outright ban on this plant or its constituent parts. I would support a ban on the sale of this plant to minors, but adults in our society should be able to freely choose a healthy alternative to prescription drugs and other harmful substances like alcohol.

Please do more research and follow the science behind kratom: https://www.americankratom.org/science