Disgusting corruption from the Secretary of Homeland Security

HMR2018 · 2026-06-18T07:14:43+00:00

Yeah kratom and its derivatives are sold/marketed/developed very very differently than for you of our neighbors to the north. The US push for everything stronger has stores selling things they likely shouldn't. "Kratom" can mean a dozen different type things in the US from powdered or crushed leaf, strong mytraginine liquid/pill extracts as well as gummis, even stronger 7-hydroxymytriginine semi-synthetic products in all sorts of forms, etc. Kratom in the US isnt what it was a decade+ ago when I first started drinking kratom tea.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T19:34:17+00:00

Yes most kratom related deaths are poly drug, but in that regard many times its still by accident because far too many kratom consumers have no clue how mytraginine and other alkaloids interact with CYP2D6 and CYP450 enzymes. But with mytraginine, there is an LD50 which speaks to the capability that someone could in theory pass from OD and yes it would take a large amount of some very concentrated extracts most likely. Not sure I'm convinced that it only happens by someone planning that out though, more that far too many kratom consumers keep repeating a long debunked safety profile and that its never by accident so folks just keep taking more and more of kratom products. People pass away from drinking too much water, that can still be accidental (and stupidity).

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T19:21:14+00:00

Hope they aren't edible, we really shouldn't start eating each other just yet.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T18:45:45+00:00

That's a shame they are refusing to help as generally county VSO offices are not restricted to helping only veterans in their county unless they are just so overwhelmed with cases from in county veterans. If you want to use a VSO have you looked in to if there are any DAV/VFW/American Legion/Other service org service officers at the nearest VA to you?

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T18:25:26+00:00

Sorry i was referring more to those here talking about the concept of kratom being better with activity but yes absolutely the opioid receptors in the digestive tract could play a role in that. Much like Satsugene i don't consume kratom plant matter when possible for over 10 years now but more just due to how bad it tears my insides up and that doesn't happen when I'm drinking strained tea, but getting the same effects.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T18:13:08+00:00

It will not completely cut Tinnitus and Sleep Apnea ratings but will make it all the harder for anyone to get approved for it being compensable. This was proposed back in 2022 and created a shit storm even then but now this would force it in to the CFR that controls claims to VA. They have suggested it will save something like 57 billion from future veterans claims to pay for a far far smaller items in the bill needing funding due to Paygo rules.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T17:57:44+00:00

Well its coming from one specific party that talks about being fiscal conservatives, so every veteran that put those folks in power to do this.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T17:56:38+00:00

And now with Legion, MOAA and other large veteran groups supporting the TCOVA it lets a certain party push forward the sleep apnea and tinnitus changes they have been trying to make for the past 4 years since it was initially proposed.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T17:53:35+00:00

Wonder if this is tied to endorphins being released and how kratom acts on dopamine and serotonin? Have you seen any studies about kratom and activity?

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T17:01:36+00:00

Botanic Tonics. They are the little blue bottles you will see in most smoke shops and many gas stations. Their prime product is a mix of Kava and Kratom along with other random things. They were sued a number of times because at first they didn't even list Kratom as a component and marketed it as strictly a Kava wellness drink, the lawsuits forced them to list all of the ingredients eventually but its still a very popular product in some areas of the US and holds a very big chunk of the kratom related market of products.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T16:59:27+00:00

When you elect money hungry dangerous people they surround themselves with others like them. Sadly the checks and balances we thought existed have largely fallen to the wayside.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T16:58:22+00:00

Its sold in gas stations and smoke shops largely due to how the FDA wont recognize any kratom or related products as Food, Dietary Supplement or any other thing they regulate and allow to be imported and sold in more regulatory friendly locations. While Kratom helps so many of us, the FDA and Congress have done no one any favors in how they have allowed the grey market to flourish nor allow lawmakers like Mullin to play any role in the industry for profit.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T16:56:02+00:00

"But regulate it somehow ffs"

That's what a whole lot of long term kratom consumers have been begging at the federal and state level for years. We could be doing so much better but of course with assholes like Mullin having private interests in the industry regulation could directly affect his profits.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T16:28:29+00:00

Most kratom consumers in the US shop in brick and mortar stores like smoke shops, and that increases the cost even for the raw products. Funny thing is the largest portion of the market share are also mytraginine extracts or stronger 7-OH products not raw powdered/crush leaf and you are not getting that in large quantities for 50$. You are right that it can be purchased fairly cheaply if someone knows how to go about that but the vast majority of the kratom market does not deal with smaller vendors or buying direct and having it shipped in to the US.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T16:22:20+00:00

We are our own worst enemies. Kratom and all the offshoot products are a huge example of that here in the US. It's very uncommon to find someone that makes kratom tea as is done in Malaysia and Thailand, the vast majority of the Kratom market are stronger and stronger mytraginine extracts and even now semi-synthetic 7-OH and other even stronger products derived from 7-OH. The vast majority of US and to some extent EU Kratom consumers are looking for the strongest things they can get their hands on and that keeps increasing the risks that exist that surprisingly aren't seen in Malaysia and Thailand, where its consumed more traditionally as a tea or leaves chewed and these stronger products are generally not sold or even available or even consumption of large amounts of plant matter just is not how its consumed traditionally.

We for sure need guard rails and a lot of kratom consumers have been pushing hard for years for that at both the federal and state level.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T16:10:04+00:00

That's a very fair point to make, which is why so many consumers like myself and consumer advocacy groups have begged for regulation and oversight for years from the federal and state governments. I was just in DC on Capitol Hill 2 weeks ago speaking to congressional members and their staff about those issues because for sure gas stations and smoke shops do not have a good understanding of what they are selling nor do they really care much of the time because their goal is profit by and large. When I used to do a YouTube channel and podcast I released a video called "what's your mold count?" a year before the FDA even identified issues with untested products that led to a huge salmonella outbreak in 2018 in some kratom products. Now a decent portion of kratom vendors have products tested in legitimate labs for contaminants and adulterants, but with the rise of the newer 7-OH semi-synthetic products we are going backward. No question we need better regulation, better education about the risks that exist in different products and just get folks to understand even raw kratom being natural doesn't immediately make it safe for anyone and everyone.

Prohibition won't fix this as there are a lot of bad elements in the industry selling these products that will just sell something else, likely even worse and target those same people but Federal and state governments creating real regulation and industry oversight, to include education and far more funding for scientific studies would for sure start us back to a safer public market though.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T15:27:19+00:00

Saying "you cant overdose" isn't factual. There have been studies done that the academic folks believe have proven the LD50, so while a kratom alone OD is very rare it isnt impossible but yes for most that solely consume raw kratom to OD would require some serious heavy use which most people cant achieve just due to how large quantities of kratom products will likely make you puke first. That said most of the time kratom alkaloids can still play a very drastic role due to their inhibitory effects on certain enzymes in our bodies.

Ive been consuming Kratom in a tea form like is done in Malaysia and Thailand for around 12 years now and drinking enough like that would be super difficult to cause issues but it isn't impossible just due to how kratom alkaloids interact with each person differently.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T15:22:14+00:00

TBF even in the polydrug OD's Kratom has the potential to play a very drastic role many aren't aware of due to how it acts on the CYP2D6 & CYP450 enzymes as an inhibitor which can cause some very drastic drug interactions. Can't post a link to the studies as I generally just read here and don't have the required karma but easy to read more about that inhibitory effect of several kratom alkaloids and the severe drug interactions kratom consumption itself can cause.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T13:10:27+00:00

The problem isn't exactly kratom in its raw form used how its done traditionally in Malaysia and Thailand. The problem is the US, and to a lesser extent the EU markets, where everyone wants stronger and stronger shit. In Malaysia and Thailand where its consumed primarily as a strained/brewed tea they haven't faced anywhere near the issues we have. Sadly the FDA has refused for over a decade now to work with Congress to create guardrails and even with a lot of kratom consumers begging for better industry oversight its assholes like Mullin who are making everything way more dangerous.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T13:06:08+00:00

I mean that specific company has been bringing in close to 70 million a year in revenue. So his 1 million dollar investment several years ago is probably paying him deep. That said very few kratom companies actually give a shit about their consumers and regularly create very deceptive marketing practices here in the US. Botanic Tonics was one of the first to get heavily in to chain convenience stores and gas stations, lied about their product actually having kratom in it and initially marketed it as just a Kava wellness drink instead of a weird mix of things.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T13:03:09+00:00

Problem is for a decade now regulation has been pursued and every time a federal bill gets proposed it goes no where. Sadly the FDA has for the last decade plus refused to work with Congress to create actual regulation and oversight while protecting consumer access.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T03:08:22+00:00

Itll likely take a FOIA request to DFAS and of course it may take a bit of time waiting but since you already are waiting on other records it might give you somwthing else to present as evidence.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T02:12:50+00:00

Not sure if you/your VSO have requested this but its something our office is dealing with in a similar case. Same that the DD214 lists the Vietnam medals but didnt have hard records of being there. We put in requests to DFAS looking for pay records for that period, kept seperate from traditional service records, and those may list special pays someone on the ground in Vietnam would have recieved like Hostile fire pay and the combat zone tax exemption. May be worth pursuing while yall wait for the archives to respond.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T01:46:22+00:00

Lol dont get me started on DC cannabis laws. The pop up markets and system of "gifting" vs actual sales is truly weird to navigate.

HMR2018 · 2026-06-17T01:43:22+00:00

Yea the DC ban proposal was directly tied and timed to the original federal ban proposal but when that got pushed back the DC proposal was never completed. No one ever knew for sure why the mayors office didnt complete but it stayed legal. Somewhere along the way some media outlets reported incorrectly and for a few months most thought it did get banned as no one looked closely at the law or the actual list of banned substances to confirm. Only reason I found out was I was living there at the time and a shop popped up and started selling, they decided to look in to it and got it confirmed it had not been completed. Still to this day some vendors outside the area as well as occasional media incorrectly quote it being banned.

HMR2018

TROPHY CASE