Kratom : What Is The Media's Role In Demonizing Herbal Medicine?

She didn’t seem to be aware of a recent university study showing kratom has great promise and potential to save lives, so I sent her the link. The important Ole Miss Pharmacological study was ignored, not even mentioned, even though, to my knowledge, it is the first (and only) major American study on kratom to date (though much has been studied and scientifically proven in S.E. Asia, Thailand etc. of the safety of kratom (also not mentioned in the story).

Though it was one of the more balanced and honest segments I have seen on the topic, it still left much to be desired. Allow me to point out it showed both sides of the story, pro and con, the title of the segment was predictbly biased, so as obviously not to offend current drug firm advertisers (and future ones).

In fact, the segment title was amateurish, it was clearly written by a novice newsperson or a veteran who never learned real journalism. It read something like...“Kratom, Just Another Dangerous Street Drug Or Miracle Herb?”.

Hence the decision was already planted in the viewers mind what to think about kratom, before the story aired. Having worked in major market media and PR for several decades, I was not impressed, at all; nor were other of my veteran media colleagues with whom I discussed it, some of whom have taken kratom safely and responsibly for years, saving their immune systems, hearts, liver etc. from deadly opiate drugs.

“Well Rick”, you might say, “Such a title sounds pretty fair and balanced to me”.

Here is why its not. It has been proven for years that kratom, I’m talking straight kratom leaf from a tree; not kratom extract, but kratom, is not only harmless but a healthy medicinal herb. It boosts the immune syste, lowers blood pressure, boosts mood (similary to St. John's Wort).

Even the best medicinal herbs are not miracles; they are simply part of the entire ecosystem of nature and should be there for planet survival. The only way “kratom” or any plant would be considered “a miracle” via science, is if it started to disappear. It would be put on the endangered species list, and efforts would be made to rejuvenate it.

Perhaps a better title might have been, “Kratom, Just another light bulb filament or potent harmless already proven safe medicinal herb”?

Or why not, “Kratom, Just Another Dot.Com Billionaire Teen… Or Bath Salt”.

I realize the above titles are ludicrous, but I point it out as the story’s producer chose that title for a reason with an agenda. He/she probably already knew it was/is a harmless healthy herb as most producers do at least a little research beyond the opinion of the “worried parent(s) who brought the story forward (but this one apparently didn’t, or if so, did not talk about it. News corporations’ lifeblood is ads.

The true media heroes of our society will be the rare few who do not buy into the big pharma slant, to try to slam/dunk kratom the way it did marijuana, and instead, do his/her own scientific research to counter the propaganda. Those, like in the 1930's will be few and far between, but they will be the only ones who historically will be remembered.

American media has a history of being possibly the best, but it also has a history of being the worst. Driven by ad money, commercial media, though often with bits of accuracy and/or honesty, has to leave out some of the most important aspects (scientific proof), because it has to survive.

On the other hand, there will probably one day be a real story on kratom, not driven by "worried parents" or some other entity that often helps create local and/or regional news stories with an obvious slant, such as PBS, NPR, or some other more neutral media platform that doesn't necessarily have to bow down to "the hand that feeds them".

Those are generally the media heroes. They have been with marijuana, though I must admit CNN took a huge risk (and won) with Sanja Gupta's special "Weed", given that drug companies (who do not like the idea of legalized marijuana....money out of their pockets), but many switched to CNN as their major news channel from both Fox and MSNBC after such a risky true special evolved.

Other media can learn from that, but generally won't as they are so focused on creating news that is entertaining, but not always accurate.

So there won't be a lot of "news heroes" evolving from such dinosaur media that is secondary to the Internet anyway. Ironically the only real way to gain back credibility over Internet news is to take a page out of CNN's book and take such risks. Use real science for such stories as medicinal herbs like kratom. CNN new it was a big risk. But it won them back the ratings. They were reporting something the public already new, and were/are savvy enough to understand the agendas of those who still demonize marijuana. I see it clearly happening with kratom. Many of us have known the science of the topic for many years.

So bring in the sensational, no matter how many it hurts people who get relief from overwhelming pain from kratom, and no matter how much damage it does to them, exactly as those who towed the line against marijuana for a century as victim/patients died; they don’t even realize (or care) they are parroting those who stand to gain wealth by outlawing kratom, and lose wealth if it stays inexpensive and out of the hands of criminals (as it does now in 48 states) sans Tennessee and Indiana.

None of us want to lose our innocence. I am a writer who works in the “arts and letters” and most of us (who studied liberal arts) did so, to “have and find our voice” that perhaps we didn’t have (or think we had) as children.

Kratom will never make one penny for television or other media unless it becomes illegal. Then tv news can produce news stories on it, newspapers can write sensational stories on "kratom criminals" sponsored by Big Pharma drugmakers such as those who make Hydrocodone, Oxycontin, and all the others that kill people every 18 seconds, but whom could most likely get off those meds by taking kratom at 1/100th the cost, and with no danger of death or overdose. There has never been a reported death of either.

This type of faux news has been created since 1935 on various media (newspaper and radio back then) on the new, deadly marijuana in order to sell ads, often to drug companies who made huge money on drugs that didn't work, but pot would have.

Now it's happening with kratom which should be a bit of a surprise since experience is supposed to educate us, but sometimes people look the other way over history's mistakes, and though they may repeat them, they will make a lot of money along the way.

Though I am the last person to ask people to try kratom, have a party and share with everyone. But any veteran partier would be quite disappointed trying kratom for the first time and expecting some kind of euphoric Timothy Leary moment”. The effect is about like coffee or an antihistamine, depending on the strain. Anyone can abuse kratom and recreationally, it is quite a bit “less than euphoric”.

It is not hallucinogenic as reported by many, and the only way it behaves like “a drug” is the fact that it has strong analgesic properties. Or, it may be so, but I imagine it would have to be taken in extremely large doses at one time; way more than the common kratom user-for-pain uses it. But that can be done with a number of substances that can be found around the house in large quantities, so that does not make kratom anything special (as far as a party item).

So, in order not to make the same mistakes America did with marijuana, it is extremely important, every single time someone tries to demonize kratom, call it extremely addictive when sciences has already showed it’s less addictive than its cousin coffee, that it’s a spice (its not; it is a totally organic leaf), etc.

Not to outline the downside of kratom would be unfair as well; there is one.

I, for one, and there are many others feel that kratom extract may be dangerous, and I would not risk taking it, though many do. But they pay more, it definitely *is* more habit-forming than coffee, and it is very expensive. Why take that risk when using a perfectly healthy leaf that remedies pain perfectly in its organic form.

Kratom extract is made the same way hashish is made from marijuana. Marijuana, science and medicine has found is a perfectly safe medicinal herb. But hashish, like kratom extract, is made with methane gas, chemicals etc. that can be dangerous. The makers say that none remain on the plant, but that is actually scientifically impossible.

And it is the gasses and chemicals that may cause harm, not kratom. So please don’t experiment with kratom extract, only pure kratom leaf (if you are trying to exit the opioid drug system). It would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. However kratom, according to a January 2013 Ole Miss Pharmacological Study mentioned earlier, kratom can be quite useful in stopping the use and/or abuse of opiate drugs.

I have not seen NORML (National Organization For Reform Of Marijuana Laws) lobby for the legalization nor the usage of hashish and there must be a reason.

My guess is for the same reason kratom extract is not purveyed as necessarily safe, though I believe it is an adult’s right to use kratom extract, even though I would not, the people who are going to do the most good to make sure that kratom stays legal for those who need it, are not going to be the one’s spouting the wonders of kratom extract as a recreational drug (that will only raise red flags for the DEA to take a closer look (and who really could blame them) as we don’t have a study of long term use of being exposed to the gasses and chemicals used to make it.

By the same token, those who have used straight kratom leaf as a medicinal herb successfully and responsibly for many years with no issues, side effects or painful withdrawals, have a responsibility to speak out about it, so that other chronic pain patients may have the same option for a safe herb over a deadly drug for pain. I would choose what mother nature offers up any day over a drug firm, if it is feasible to do so. And in the case of kratom, it makes no sense noto.

Call the media on their stories if unfair; even if the titles of the story plant an idea in the viewer or reader’s mind before seeing it so as to manipulate them with their own bias. Let them know how unfair it is to do that. Media workers are humans with feelings too. One day they, too will be elderly, and at least 5 out of 10 of them (or more) may have to choose between kratom and deadly opiates.

Let them know how important it is for the media to fight back and help us (chronic pain victims who do not want to take opiates). We need the media to show our side of the story. It has science behind it. Opinion is a wonderful thing, but it only belongs in op-ed pieces and the cartoon page. Science should.

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Rick London is a chronic pain sufferer and outspoken proponent of the medicinal herb kratom. He says the best affordable kratom comes from a company called Kratom-K. He likes also that their kratom is fresh and potent, and they take 15% off their already low prices if one uses the coupon code "kratom" at checkout. London is best known as a songwriter, author, gift designer and cartoonist. His most famous work is Londons Times Cartoons (LTCartoons.com) which he launched from an abandoned rural Ms. tin shed in 1997 and has been Google's #1 ranked offbeat cartoons and funny gifts since 2005.

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