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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail- Dijon Evans (Item 13)From: Lynch, Breanna To: City Clerk Subject: FW: Kratom Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 12:37:07 PM Attachments: imaae003.g_na image004.g_na imaae005.g_na image006.g_na imaae007.pna image008.g_no Breanna Lynch 10 Senior Executive Coordinator Ed 300 Centennial Way, Tustin, CA 92780 P: P:714-573-3012 i L 'JS "r1N blynch(a)tustinca.ora I tustinca.ora STAY CONNECTED WITH US: KM0 0 From: dijonevans < Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 12:22 PM To: City Council <citycouncil@tustinca.org> Subject: Kratom Kratom has literally saved my life and given me the hope that I had lost due to the opioid epidemic and my medical history, losing the pain meds, because of the new opioid laws and the inhumane new rules that no longer permitted patients such as myself and millions of others who were also cut off from the opioid medications due to the illegal selling of opioids by the illegitimate sales of the medications, the illegal prescriptions that were given to those who absolutely didn't need them, but they were obtaining them in order to sell them to those who were trying to make a lot of money by selling them to those who were either addicted to illicit drugs or those who were now desperate because they had been cut off of the medications that they had Legitimate reasons for taking them and had been given Legitimate prescriptions for years, sometimes decades by doctors for Legitimate reasons. I was injured when I had just turned 16. 1 had a short leg cast put on too tight and it killed the nerves and cut off the circulation. The cast was only on for 4 days, but that was over 3 days too long. After that first week we were told that I was going to end up Losing my leg, but I said that that wasn't going to happen! I was wrong! The top specialists had tried to save my leg for 10 years. Doing experimental surgeries and procedures, doing procedures that at the time were considered to be the correct procedures, surgeries and the proper treatments, but now we know that those only made the situation worse and made the nerve damage spread throughout my body, and the 10 years that my leg remained on, only helped to spread the infections, pulmonary embolisms, sepsis, gangrene, deep vein thrombosis,and allowed the osteomyelitis to find a place to hide in my system. It doesn't take much of an injury, a simple bruising to a bone, orjust a bruise to anywhere and it leads to another bout of osteomyelitis ( bone infection). I have been legally dead several times and on my deathbed several other times. I have full body CRPS with organ involvement, optical, occipital and trigeminal Neuralgia, multiple organ failure, and I have had more than 240 surgeries and procedures. I wasn't supposed to live to be 30, but here I am after a very difficult 30 years beyond that age, several near death escapes, and I just turned 62. 1 have had amputations, pulmonary embolisms, sepsis, gangrene, 17 bouts of osteomyelitis and now also have osteonecrosis of myjaw, sinuses and facial bones, including the left inner ear, and soon to be the right. It is now affecting the entire inside of my skull, the soft inner bones. There is nothing that can be done for me because I am too high risk for the needed surgeries to repair my skull and inner ears. They can't do surgery because of the extremely high risk that I will develop osteomyelitis of my skull and the chance that it will lead to the infection of my brain. If by chance that I don't develop osteomyelitis, there's an even higher risk that the surgical bone placement would fail because of the necrosis. The only places that could put me into a medically induced coma and provide prophylaxis antibiotic treatment, and then do the surgery while still keeping me in a comatose state, are far enough away that I would have to be flown there. This cannot be done because I don't have any bone in-between my brain and inner ear that we need to provide the protection to our brain when we experience the pressure changes while in flight. So, now with everything else that I have encountered and fought to live through, I am nearing the end of the road. Not just because of my medical conditions, but because of my age. For over 15 years I was bedridden and unable to care for myself. Everything had to be done for me, and it included in home nursing care for the PICC lines.. My daughter has lived with this her entire life. My grandkids have as well! James, my partner has been subjected to this the entire time that he has known me and he's been an amazing, loving and caring man who has taken very good care of me! He's been subjected to so very much! So many times he has been told that he needed to say his goodbye to me because I wouldn't make it through the night. But each and every time that I pulled through the night- I would wake up to him holding my hand, watching me and crying tears of joy as would open my eyes. Each time he would explain to me why I was in CCU, and he would begin to tell me what happened. Each time he would just look at me and tell me how much he loved me. When opioids were removed from the picture, even though I was diagnosed as a terminal patient, but because I wasn't a terminal cancer patient- so I wouldn't be able to get through the worst known painful conditions that are known to us, this is what I experience. Every single second of every single day. Every single second of every minute. Every minute of every hour. Every hour of each day of every month.. Every month of each year.. Decade after Decade for the past 46 years. It feels like I am being electrocuted from the inside out and that my tissues are being seared together. That's on a good day! Unfortunately I had reached the point where I felt that I was not able to take it anymore and I was ready to take my own life. This has been very difficult to admit because I have a beautiful daughter, and 3 beautiful grandchildren, and an amazing man that I love and he loves me! I have so very much to Live for! But each time something else happened, I could see what my health was doing to them and every other person that I Love, have loved; I was able to see what it was doing to them, in their eyes. Each time I felt like I was being electrocuted, I felt as if it was going through my body and directly into them. It wasn't only killing me, but it was chasing everyone that I loved- right out of my life. After the first amputation, I spent most of my younger years in college and then medical school. I thrived in college! I was so happy and I felt better than I had in years! But when I was in college, I was in a extremely abusive marriage and I was seriously injured,which made the damage spread through my upper arms and body. I ended up taking a medical Leave of absence, but I was very good at research,so when the word kratom was introduced to me, I researched everything that I could find out about kratom! After several months of researching it, talking to my medical team, my mentors, and my family- I decided that if I was going to look at ending my own life, that kratom would definitely be worth a shot. I ordered some pure, unadulterated kratom leaf powder from a reputable vendor and waited. Because of a holiday, and a long weekend- it took longer than expected to arrive. I had already thought that kratom was just a scam anyway... another " get rich scam.. a way for unscrupulous people to take advantage of very desperate people who were in serious pain,looking for a way to find anything to help.. even just a little bit: I held no HOPE that it would help. I was, after all from the science background and I held no belief in dietary supplements. I have spent the past 9 years eating crow for that lack of belief because as I said,) didn't believe in it AT ALL!! BUT AS I SAID, KRATOM QUITE LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE! I was leaving the house to follow through with my plans to take my own life when the mailman showed up with my first package. I WAS LESS THAN A HALF HOUR AWAY FROM TAKING MY OWN LIFE!! SUCH A DIFFICULT THING TO SAY!! I HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO LOSE, BUT EVERYTHING TO GAIN by going back in the house and trying kratom. I did. I AM SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL THAT I DID!! Approximately 20 minutes later my pain was at a tolerable level. Instead of being in bed, crying and begging for the torture to end, James came home and found me sitting on the couch smiling. He knelt beside me and cried. He knew that the kratom had arrived and that it was helping! Kratom doesn't get rid of all of my pain, but it allows me to be at tolerable levels. Everyone who decides to try kratom needs to do their own due diligence. They need to be responsible for their own health and to not go right to extracts!! Be smart about what you put in your body and be responsible for your own actions! Don't mix things with it in order to " try to get rid of all of your pain- mental, physical or emotional!! Absolutely NOTHING will take ALL of our pain away, but at least kratom helps to get it to a tolerable level ! Thank you very much. Dijon Evans Scientific proof ! I am writing to express my concern regarding the proposed ban on kratom. As a substance with significant potential therapeutic benefits and a low risk of harm when used appropriately, the decision to ban kratom appears to be based on incomplete or selective data. The article that alerted me to this was very off base with its description of Kratom. I respectfully urge lawmakers to reconsider this ban in light of the testimonies and research provided by experts in the field. I know you will be sent thousands of personal testimonies so beyond these stories and mine I share with you several respected researchers and medical professionals. They have publicly highlighted the benefits of kratom when used responsibly, particularly for individuals suffering from chronic pain, opioid use disorder, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The following video testimonies and peer reviewed research paper from the World Health Organization further underscore the need for a balanced, evidence -based approach when assessing the risks and benefits of kratom. 1. Toxicologist Marilyn Huestis, AB, MS, PHD Dr. Marilyn Huestis testimony, available here: https://youtu.be/awdX7ND8Hvo?si=5Gr9[ziOr9YBRr8l as well as here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4KZ*UdWO18, she emphasizes the need for a balanced, scientific approach to kratom regulation. She addresses the presumed Kratom overdose deaths and explains how that the majority of them were either poly pharmaceutical, adulterated Kratom or incomplete testing. There is call to action here and it's not to ban it is to regulate. In both videos, Dr. Huestis discusses the growing body of evidence suggesting that kratom could play a critical role in harm reduction, particularly for individuals seeking alternatives to dangerous opioids. Dr. Huestis perspective is valuable in reminding us that comprehensive, evidence -based policies should be implemented to regulate kratom, not an outright ban that could remove a vital therapeutic option from the public. 2. Dr. Christopher McCurdy Dr. Christopher McCurdy is a professor of medicinal chemistry and a leading pharmacologist with extensive expertise in the pharmacology of kratom. He is one of the foremost researchers on the substance and has spent years investigating its active compounds and therapeutic potential. Dr. McCurdy's research demonstrates that kratom's primary active compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, exhibit pain - relieving properties without the same risks of respiratory depression that are common with opioids. Furthermore, his work suggests kratom's potential to aid in opioid withdrawal therapy. In his testimony, available https://youtu.be/9kvXz- wuySM?si=WeuK3sHwt9icxvmv, Dr. McCurdy highlights the need for more research and responsible regulation, rather than an outright prohibition of kratom, which could deprive individuals of a safer alternative to opioids or other pharmaceuticals. 3. Dr. Kirsten Smith Dr. Smith, a researcher at the University of Florida, has investigated the pharmacokinetics of kratom and its potential as a harm -reduction tool for individuals struggling with opioid addiction. Her testimony, accessible here: https://youtu.be/CrQxVDb-48Y?si=nbrThQ6iu3DB6hH emphasizes kratom's ability to reduce opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms without the severe risks associated with opioid use. Dr. Smith's work suggests that banning kratom could deprive vulnerable populations of a potential harm -reduction strategy, exacerbating the opioid crisis rather than alleviating it. 4. Dr. Ed Boyer Dr. Boyer, a renowned toxicologist, addresses the safety profile of kratom in his testimony here: https://youtu.be/6L4GcFn IDg?si=GBsbSWDhGpWifvFk He points out that, although there have been reports of adverse events associated with kratom, these cases are often linked to underlying medical history, misuse or contamination rather than the inherent properties of the substance. He underscores that kratom-related deaths, when they occur, are typically tied to poly -drug use and not kratom alone. Dr. Boyer advocates for further research into kratom's safety profile rather than an outright ban based on incomplete data. 5. Dr. Jack Henningfield Dr. Henningfield, an expert in addiction research, has also spoken on the issue of kratom's potential to aid in addiction treatment, particularly for individuals with opioid dependence. His testimony available here: https://youtu.be/jWDXBQOgyU4?si=pQ39raaasgbNYREQ emphasizes that, when used in a controlled and informed manner, kratom could serve as an alternative to opioid painkillers, which are responsible for a significant number of fatalities in the U.S. Dr. Henningfield cautions against hastily categorizing kratom as a dangerous substance, particularly in light of its therapeutic applications. 6. Peer Reviewed Report by World Health Organization on Kratom(Mitragyna speciosa), mitragynine, and 7- hydroxymitragyninehttps://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/controlled- substances/unedited--advance-copy-44th-ecdd-review- report_kratom.pdf?sfvrsn=8d699207_8&download=true I recognize this document is Long and not easily understood without a scientific background. I hope your board with take the time to at least review this singular key point. Page 39 Section 14 3rd Paragraph - Dr. Marek Chawarski states "This lack of association between mitragynine blood concentration and risk of lethality suggests that kratom consumption was not a causal factor in the vast majority of kratom-associated deaths, but rather was an incidental finding." The ban on kratom , a substance that has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia for pain relief and as a stimulant, seems premature given the growing body of scientific evidence supporting its potential benefits and its relatively low risk profile when used responsibly. While acknowledging the need for continued research and proper regulation, it is essential to consider the voices of professionals who understand the nuanced effects of kratom. These experts urge caution when drawing conclusions about its safety and efficacy, pointing to the lack of conclusive evidence supporting a ban, and suggesting that education, research, and regulation are the more appropriate courses of action. The state of California along with many others recently put into effect a KCPA bill that is easily replicated. You can see the bill here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20192020/183236 As your area and the world continues to grapple with the opioid crisis, banning kratom could inadvertently limit a valuable tool for those seeking alternatives to pharmaceuticals or for those in recovery from addiction. I know many veterans, cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers that have been able to improve their quality of life with this leaf. It is important to remember that the effects of substances like kratom are not universally harmful and that the risk of misuse or adverse effects is greatly minimized when people have access to education, appropriate dosages, and regulation. In conclusion, I respectfully ask that lawmakers reconsider the proposed ban on kratom. Instead, I advocate for a research -driven approach that includes informed regulation and public education to ensure that kratom's potential benefits are not unjustly hindered. Sent from my Metro by T-Mobile 5G Device