DEA Admits Kratom has medical value! A step forward...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/15/the-dea-wants-to-ban-another-plant-researchers-say-the-plan-is-insane/

Melvin Patterson is quoted in the article as saying:

"I don't see it being Schedule 2 [or higher] because that would be a drug that's highly addictive," he said. "Kratom's at a point where it needs to be recognized as medicine. I think that we are going to find out that probably  it does."

He cautioned that research would be necessary to know for sure how to best regulate the drug, and it's safest to put kratom on Schedule 1 in the meantime. Still, Patterson noted that public response to the ban has been overwhelming.

"That was eye-opening for me personally," he said. "I want the kratom community to know that the DEA does hear them. Our goal is to make sure this is available to all of them.".