I should have mentioned my previous usage. At at one point I was using up to three level teapoons a day, which would amount to about 7 & 1/2 gpd. I didn't do that for very long, as I wasn't in extreme physical pain.
It's odd how some people experience withdrawals and others don't. I've gone cold turkey several times and didn't have a bad time at all. Maybe a runny nose and some sleepiness, and that's it.
I agree it should not be sold to minors and that it should include harm-reduction info. We do it for alcohol and tobacco, after all.
I've taken it for years with no issue except constipation from time to time. Kratom is about as impactful to me as an acetaminophen pill and a couple cups of coffee, which is good since I have to be careful about which substances I put into my body. I take one teaspoon infrequently. The key to taking it is to not take too much. Less=more, since higher dosages start having an inverse effect.
Articles like this one only seem to be creating hysteria where none should exist. We need more proper studies on the plant, but for now people should treat it like anything else: don't overdo it. I mean, you wouldn't take 15 acetaminophen tablets, and likewise you shouldn't take dozens of grams of kratom at once.
Disclaimer: some people can't keep their dosages low and they will develop a problem, so be careful with the stuff (or don't even try it if you are worried about becoming addicted).
I understand what you're saying and I did feel weird typing that since I know there must be a better alternative.
Something has to give, though. In late June I had to leave a place I rented for 19 years and I'm still stunned. Idk how much of the house's value we paid in rent, but it was a lot. And it wasn't even a large home, just a small cabin few people would wish to live in. But there was nothing stopping the landlord from kicking us to the curb.
Hopefully this includes not kicking out people who can still pay rent, just so the landlord can have themselves a weekend vacation cabin or higher-priced rental. And there should be a law forcing landlords to offer a rent-to-own option. Also, how about recalculating inflation to account for every expense that has gone up, so that the percentage a landlord can raise rent each year isn't so damned high. While we're being fair, of course :|
One time when I worked at a hardware store, I was loading concrete bags for a woman and I asked her, "you wanted eight?" to confirm how many she requested. She asked back, "do I want a date??" Anyway, I was too shy to pretend that I was asking her out, so this comment is only sort of about dating.
If another country came into ours and started driving people out, cutting down food trees and putting in settlements, you bet we'd be pissed. But it's like our politicians have zero empathy and can't imagine us being in another's shoes. I know politics requires making hard choices, but must every top politician be a sociopath? It's very imbalanced.
Similarly to what the other guy said, I believe it's because the ruling class wants to keep their power no matter what. Any burgeoning movement that threatens their hegemony can be nipped in the bud before it blossoms, because 'the eye sees all', or at least it wishes to.
Most people don't realize (or don't care) just how one-sided our relationship with the government and corporations has gotten. The elites have a monopoly on violence, psychology, surveillance and means. If you were to start a movement that promises real change, you'd find it falling apart before it ever truly got started because you don't have all the things I mentioned.
Wasn't there supposed to be a ship with activists delivering aid from Greece or someplace a few months back? I wonder what became of that...
I hope this one makes it safely.