u/Itchy-Hovercraft-245

Matthew J. Eller was a 22-year-old man who collapsed after playing cards and suffered a fatal seizure. The Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident caused by the toxic effects of mitragynine. But the toxicology report sitting inside his own file revealed a profound, life-threatening crisis: a vitreous sodium level of 118 mmol/L — a severe metabolic emergency known to cause sudden collapse, seizures, and brain swelling.

When legislative workgroups in North Dakota or anywhere else are handed this autopsy as proof of a botanical danger, they are being handed an incomplete story. A medical examiner ignoring a 118 mmol/L sodium level does not make that level disappear.

Read all about it here…

https://www.open-truth.org/#eller

Marion County commissioners are scheduled to formally discuss a kratom ban on August 18, 2026.

County Attorney Matthew G. Minter has already drafted a ban ordinance, includes possession, and filed it for board review—and his own legal memo explicitly distinguishes natural leaf kratom from dangerous concentrated 7-OH products, citing FDA guidance that traditional kratom is far less risky.

This August 18 meeting is your strongest advocacy window before any formal vote is scheduled.

Upcoming hearings:

Tue Aug 18, 2026 · 9:00 AM EDT — Marion County BOCC Regular Meeting

In person:

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium

601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala, FL 34471

https://marionfl.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1428743&GUID=780FCBC2-7794-46E0-BA33-2F8BEA0C7413

On August 27th, the American Kratom Association will host a special presentation during the CHAMPS Trade Show in Las Vegas, and we’re looking for advocates who are willing to attend, participate, and share their personal experiences.

🌿 We Need Real Kratom Consumers to Speak Up

One of the most important tools we have in protecting access to natural kratom is the voice of the people who actually use it.

Lawmakers, regulators, businesses, and the public constantly hear claims and misinformation about kratom. Your personal story can help put a real person behind this issue and show why responsible access to natural kratom matters.

Whether kratom has impacted your quality of life, helped you make a positive change, or simply given you an option that matters to you, we want you to be part of this special event.

📍 Las Vegas, Nevada
📅 Thursday, August 27th
🎤 Special AKA Presentation at the CHAMPS Trade Show

👉 Interested in Attending or Sharing Your Story?

https://www.protectkratom.org/nevada

Watch here…

https://www.youtube.com/live/qN4ZioWBu9s?si=oGqXVrm8GV6W5BzT

Statement from Governor’s Office:

Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, has issued an emergency order temporarily placing all forms of kratom into Schedule I under Massachusetts law.

The order will take effect following a 14-day notice period and remain in effect for up to one year. It will give local boards of health and other municipal officials additional authority to take enforcement action against retailers selling kratom products.- 8/13/26

https://www.protectkratom.org/massachusetts

Watch here…

https://www.youtube.com/live/N41qKv2KNTA?si=6rk4pEAPTcqLEofv

Here’s the link for the title…

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/mother-urges-florida-lawmakers-ban-kratom-son-toxicology-report/67-787ad48c-3981-4564-9735-d17b29af9add

Here’s the truth…

170 ng/mL of Mitragynine is roughly equal to a strong cup of tea. So why was it ruled the cause of death?

Our latest video investigation uncovers a critical testing blindspot in the case of Timothy Cook (Ellenton, FL).

Here is the timeline the headlines skipped:

1️⃣ The Product: Early reports confirmed Tim was taking "tablets." Natural kratom leaf comes in raw powder, whole leaf, or liquid tea. Compressed tablets are the hallmark of concentrated 7-OH isolates.

2️⃣ The Public Appeal: On April 12, 2026, Tim's mother, Mary Hough, posted an open letter to Congress specifically citing synthetic 7-OH tablets as the contributing factor and urging lawmakers to ban concentrated 7-OH.

3️⃣ The Autopsy Findings: When the autopsy was finalized on June 12, 2026, the lab found 170 ng/mL of Mitragynine—a low concentration seen in routine, daily consumers. Meanwhile, concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine was NOT tested.

4️⃣ The Co-Factors: The toxicology panel also revealed amphetamines, high levels of Dextromethorphan (DXM), and antihistamines, alongside morbid obesity and heart disease.

Why did the Medical Examiner cite a low concentration of mitragynine while ignoring severe underlying health factors, heavy over-the-counter drug levels, and leaving concentrated 7-OH completely untested?

When state labs don't screen for concentrated 7-OH, synthetic tablet fatalities are officially miscategorized as natural botanical deaths—misleading lawmakers and the public alike.

👉 Watch the full video and examine the unedited autopsy records at:

https://open-truth.org/#manatee

August 7, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause and manner of death for 29-year-old professional basketball player Brandon Clarke as the effects of heroin and cocaine. The manner of death is accident.

According to reports, around 1700 hours on May 11, 2026, Mr. Clarke was found unresponsive in his bedroom. Responding paramedics pronounced death at 1715 hours.

On May 12, a deputy medical examiner conducted an examination of Mr. Clarke at the DME’s Forensic Science Center. The cause and manner of death were certified August 7.

The Medical Examiner report will be available at a future date. The DME case number for Mr. Clarke is 2026-07644.

https://me.lacounty.gov/2026/press-releases/cause-and-manner-of-death-determined-for-brandon-clarke/

Watch here…

https://www.youtube.com/live/1pqDb8kGYtg?si=2nKoxcCia5eZhOXw

📅 WEBINAR TONIGHT — Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET

A quick reminder: August Advocacy Update Webinar is TONIGHT, Wednesday, August 5, at 8:00 PM ET.

Federal DEA Scheduling action is top of mind so join to get the latest.

Other Key Items:

🚨 The developing situation in North Dakota

🗺️ Important state and local legislative and regulatory actions

🇺🇸 The September anniversary event, including opportunities for advocates, veterans, and law enforcement supporters to participate

The proposed kratom ban in North Carolina is dead for now. ✅

That did not happen by accident. It happened because advocates like you made calls, sent emails, showed up, and told lawmakers the truth: responsible consumers deserve regulation of natural kratom leaf, not prohibition. Thank you. Every message you sent mattered.

We want to be clear-eyed, though — "dead for now" is not "gone for good." Ban proposals have a habit of coming back in a new session or attached to another bill. The AKA will continue actively monitoring North Carolina and will alert you the moment anything changes. 👀

St. Joseph City Council
Monday, August 3, 2026
⏰ 5:30 PM CT
📍 Council Chamber, City Hall
1100 Frederick Avenue, St. Joseph, MO 64501

The St. Joseph City Council is preparing for the final vote on Bill 185-26.

This ordinance would not only prohibit the distribution of natural kratom leaf—it would also make its possession unlawful.

Responsible adults could become offenders overnight simply for possessing a botanical product they purchased legally.

What you can do:

🗣️ Attend the meeting and speak during public comment.

📞 Call or email the Mayor and City Council before Monday. SEE BELOW FOR FULL DETAILS

Mayor Larry Miller
(816) 341-4504
lmiller@stjosephmo.gov

Gary Wilkinson, Deputy Mayor
(816) 244-4628
gwilkinson@stjosephmo.gov

Madison Davis, District I
(816) 244-9250
mdavis@stjosephmo.gov

Jason Eslinger, District II
(816) 390-2860
jeslinger@stjosephmo.gov

Andrew Trout, District III
(816) 261-2934
atrout@stjosephmo.gov

Russell Moore, District IV
(816) 341-4506
rmoore@stjosephmo.gov

Collin Clibon, At-Large
(816) 341-4502
cclibon@stjosephmo.gov

Marty Novak, At-Large
(816) 244-3906
mnovak@stjosephmo.gov

Randy Schultz, At-Large
(816) 244-3913
rschultz@stjosephmo.gov

Tell them:

✅ Oppose Bill 185-26’s ban on natural kratom leaf.

✅ Do not criminalize possession by responsible adults.

✅ Concentrated, chemically manipulated 7-OH products are not the same as natural kratom leaf.

✅ Support age restrictions, independent laboratory testing, accurate labeling, and responsible regulation instead of prohibition.

❤️ Most importantly, share your personal story and explain what losing access would mean for you and your family.

Local voices are especially important. If you live in or near St. Joseph, please say so.

It was 7OH pills but her death was ruled “acute Mitragynine intoxication.”

This is what was put on a flyer a couple weeks ago from the family or someone close to the family…

“Jerome took the children to the home of Charlene. While under the direct care of both Jerome and Charlene, the unimaginable happened. Jonnie was able to gain access to and ingest an open bottle of Eat Perks Full Spectrum pills, a dangerous substance banned in the state of Florida.
Where were the adults? How does a two-year-old get ahold of a banned, lethal substance?”

“It's being banned in Massachusetts cities because a grieving mom is contacting all BOH's. 70H flooding the communities was/is the nail in the coffin. Kratom was pushed out,
70H was pushed in.”

https://www.reddit.com/r/kratom/s/Ixipm7ZSMK

7OH and its derivatives was killing all legislation efforts way before the DEA’s announcement on scheduling in July 2026. I know this because myself and only a handful of Kratom advocates attend and testify at these Board of Health hearings.

We desperately need more folks in Massachusetts to virtually testify or attend hearings in-person. We’ve been fighting for well over a year now but majority of us live outta state.

Even the KDA moms from out-of-state show up but since their testimony includes “Kratom” deaths, it overshadows our out-of-state positive testimonies.

We hear time and time again “they don’t even live here so why are they here” type shit. Yet, they don’t question KDA and use their testimonies to make their decisions. I can’t make this stuff up.

Watch this Ashland hearing, we worked hard on this one but what sets it apart from the other hearings is this BOH actually did their due diligence.

If you live in Massachusetts, or in any state, email your name, city and state to lora@plantsandherbals.org

Wanna fall down a some rabbit holes?

Click on the link, hit menu top right and read about the “Kratom” death autopsies, organizations such as Kratom Danger Awareness, End Kratom Addiction, and SAM, Andrew Kolodny and Micheal Templeton.

Watch all episodes here…

https://www.endkratommisinformation.org/

Dear Amazing Advocates,

Over the past several days, manufacturers and sellers of chemically manipulated 7-OH opioid products have been urging natural kratom consumers to flood the federal government with comments opposing the proposed scheduling of these products.

Please do not participate in this deceptive campaign.

The American Kratom Association wants every natural kratom consumer to understand an important fact:

✅ Natural kratom leaf is NOT the target.

Federal agencies—including the DEA, HHS, and FDA—have all distinguished natural kratom leaf from chemically manipulated, high-potency 7-OH products. The current federal action is aimed at products containing elevated levels of 7-OH and related synthetic compounds—not traditional kratom leaf.

⚠️ What Is HHS Actually Asking For?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not asking for personal testimonials or form letters.

Instead, HHS has requested scientific evidence regarding:

🔬 Appropriate 7-OH safety thresholds

🧪 Toxicology and pharmacology data

📊 Product testing and analytical chemistry

📈 Scientific methods for measuring 7-OH concentrations

This is a scientific proceeding—not a popularity contest. Personal stories, no matter how sincere, are not the evidence HHS requested.

🚫 Don't Let Your Voice Be Hijacked

Many of the companies now asking consumers to "save kratom" are the same companies selling concentrated 7-OH opioid products.

They are attempting to recreate the grassroots movement that successfully protected natural kratom in 2016—but this is not the same fight.

In 2016, consumers defended a traditional botanical product.

Today, federal regulators are addressing chemically manipulated, high-potency opioid products that are fundamentally different from natural kratom leaf.

🌿 Protect Natural Kratom by Protecting the Difference

The long-term future of natural kratom depends on maintaining a clear distinction between:

✅ Natural kratom leaf and traditional extracts

❌ Chemically manipulated 7-OH products and related opioid compounds

Allowing manufacturers of concentrated 7-OH products to continue marketing them simply as "kratom" only creates greater confusion—and greater regulatory risk for responsible consumers and legitimate vendors.

📢 What We Ask of Consumers

Please help protect natural kratom by:

✅ Rejecting manufacturer-written form letters presented as scientific comments

✅ Ignoring claims that scheduling concentrated 7-OH automatically means scheduling natural kratom—it does not

✅ Refusing to participate in fear-based campaigns designed to protect commercial interests

✅ Supporting science-based policymaking that distinguishes natural kratom from chemically manipulated opioid products

🌱 The Bottom Line

Natural kratom consumers have worked for years to preserve access to a botanical that has helped millions of Americans.

Don't allow that movement to be exploited to protect an entirely different class of products.

Protect natural kratom. Reject chemically manipulated 7-OH opioids. Let science—not industry misinformation—guide federal policy.

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61858fcfc6543059f0617522/6a516ae67d3042d42c68f089\_AKACA7.10.pdf?emci=6f400cfa-ac7c-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&emdi=736b748c-ae7c-f111-b337-000d3a1558ce&ceid=3442302

Reminder: The American Kratom Association is holding an important national advocate webinar tonight at 8:00pm ET.

As you have likely heard, the DEA has announced a scheduling notice targeting synthetic and chemically manipulated products posing as kratom. There is a lot to unpack, and the AKA team will explain what this action means for natural kratom consumers, state advocacy efforts, and the fight to protect kratom access.

The AKA’s message remains clear:

7-OH is not kratom.
Synthetic and chemically manipulated products should not be allowed to define kratom policy.
Natural kratom leaf must be protected and responsibly regulated.