From Hydrogen Bonds to Bail Bonds, a Short Note on Prohibition.

Kratom is legal in the U.S. however it is illegal in many other places. Why? I am no expert on the prohibition of this plant, but I would assume that the prohibition is fueled by the same things that most prohibition is driven by-- Fear, bigotry, profit, control, or in some instances it can be a genuine necessity to maintain public safety. However if we take a look at history in most cases the true reasons for prohibition are not noble or very well executed.

                This is also where I need to get on my soap box for a moment about the other end of prohibition and that is the marketing and use of plants and alkaloids. The legal high industry and culture may be just as much to blame (as the politicians and lobbyists that play off the fear of an uninformed public about how this plant will kill all of the children of the world).Because they tend to market to children, the same tactic is used by alcohol and tobacco companies by the time you reach the age of legality you already have a favorite brand. So even though I am not an expert on this issues I would like to think I am informed and hope that this little blog will be informative as well.

 I am in no way promoting the frivolous use of or the prohibition of anything. Quite the contrary I am taking the position that everything has a time, place, and application. So let’s not abuse, destroy, or outlaw anything before we fully understand it. This is a great link if you are interested in the discussion on prohibition, it was created by individuals in law enforcement  that have seen the down side to just banning something because we don’t see how it fits into our culture or are too lazy to sit down and figure out how to make space for it.

http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php

Now back to kratom why would it be illegal? Should it be illegal? Is it dangerous? Oddly enough the same questions have been asked about coffee and it just so happens that Kratom and Coffee are related. What is it about alkaloids and the altered states they create that causes so much fear and fascination. My humble opinion is that they represent or perpetuate an attitude. So I think the real issue is what attitudes and states do we find dangerous or productive.