HomeMy WebLinkAboutLee Email 01_30_2026a Outloo k
Re: MEETING please read
From Provos, Sara < SProvos@yarmouth.ma.us>
Date Fri 2026-01-30 10:35 AM
To Shannon Lee <shannonhareld83@gmail.com >
Cc Niederberger, Riley < RNiederberger@yarmouth.ma.us>; Lewis, Barry < BLewis@yarmouth.ma.us >
Good morning,
Thank you for your email - this will be provided to the Board for their review.
Sara
Sara Prooos
Town of Yarmouth
Health Department
508-398-2231 ext.1241
From: Shannon Lee <shannonhareld83@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, Janu ary 30,202610:31AM
To: Provos, Sara <SProvos@yarmouth. ma.us>
Subject: MEETTNG please read
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Dear Yarmouth board of Health Members ,
My name is Shannon. I know that you are discussing kratom in
your community. As a resident of Massachusetts, I wanted to
reach out and tell my success story. I have been taking natural
leaf kratom for many years now. I have had many issues with
my lower back due to working in healthcare as a CNA. Over
time, lifting and moving patlents caused a number of issues and
resulted in a considerable amount of pain. lwent to many
different doctors in hope of finding ways to ease my chronic
lower back pain. I have had MRls, CAT scans, and X-Rays and
I was formally diagnosed with degeneralive disc disease. There
is no permanent solution to my immense pain.
Because lhe pain was so severe, lwas put on a pain
medication regime to try and reduce the extreme pain lwas
experiencing. Unfortunately, OTC medication, prescribed pain
medication and even injections did not work. I decided to stop
taking eve$hing since there was no point in medicating with no
results. That's when I discovered nalural leaf kratom. My doctor
and I spoke about it. He said he had other patients that were
using natural leaf kratom for their pain management. My doctor
was excited that it was helping my pain and that it was safe and
non-addictive. My lower back pain went from a steady 1O to a0! lt was a miracle! Kratom has drastically improved my quality
of life. I was able to retum to work without suffering on a daily
basis.
The FDA announced in their July 29, 2025 press conference
that they are not interested in banning natural kratom. They
asked the DEAto consider scheduling 7-OH slnce it is a public
health emergency. I was very happy lo hear that announcement
because there are many people in Massachusetts lhat are just
like me that need access to natural leaf kratom. I would never
take 7-OH due to the fact that it has no safety data and no
science to back it.
It is important that you understand the difference between
natural leaf kratom and 7-OH. These synthetic producls should
be removed from Store shelves, but it is critical that consumers
have access to natural leaf kratom. There are many just like me
who rely on kratom for their health and well-being. Even the
Rhode lsland legislature reversed their 20.i 7 kratom ban once
they saw the science and the safety profile of natural leaf
kratom. As of Aprn 1,2026, kratom will be legal in Rl, but 7-OH
will continue to be illegal. I hope that the state of
Massachusetts passes a similar bill this year. Until then, you
can pass a similar law in your city.
Please pass good regulation that protects your citizens by
banning 7-OH and other synthetics but allows safe access to
natural leaf kratom.
*Bulo*
"re sore great facls and information on the difference
between kratom and 7-OH.)*
. Natural leaf kratom products are from the
actual plant. Natural leaf kratom contains
only trace amounts of 7-OH. 7-OH is not
found in the freshly plucked leaf. lt forms
in these trace amounts as it dries.. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act
only allows products that contain less
than 2o/o of 7-OH in their ingredients. This
falls in line with the natural plant.. 7-OH products are created by taking that
trace alkaloid and shocking it with a
myriad of chemicals. lt creates a
completely new product that is synthetic.. 7-OH products are marketed to sound like
opioids. They are often marketed to be
appealing to teens.. 7-OH is'14x+ strongerthan morphine.
Watch this video. You will see how
powerful these products
are. http_s:/c[ive=google.com/file/d/1 jlgSlS
DaETPwl qFe2ToJBwrkCgwdeAy/view?
uso=sharino. 7-OH products cause quick
dependence/addiction due to their short
half-life. The withdrawals from 7-OH are
brutal.. There was zero science and safety data
present when 7-OH hit the market two
years ago. Natural leaf kratom has over
450 peer-reviewed studies showing its
safety and effectiveness. lncluding a
study from the FDA.. Poison control report that calls regarding
kratom/7-OH have doubled in the last two
years. Guess what? 7-OH has been on
the market for 2 years. Poison control
does not ask if the person has consumed
kratom or 7-OH. They consider them the
same, which they are NOT the same.. As you know, naloxone may be needed to
reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone
will reverse a7-OH overdose because it
is an opioid. Kratom is a partial agonist,
and naloxone will not reverse its effects
because it is not an opioid.. 7-OH has been shown to suppress
breathing in rats. Kratom does NOT
suppress breathing.. Almost all deaths seen throughout the
country are a result of consumers
combining 7-OH with other substances
including alcohol.. You cannot overdose from kratom. There
is a ceiling effect. lf you take too much
kratom your body instantly vomits. This is
not the same with 7-OH.. The FDA and HHS have made it very
clear that they do not want to ban
NATURAL LEAF KRATOII4. They are
only interested in scheduling 7-OH.
Please listen to this short clip that cleady
shows this. Short Video Segment
Quoting FDA Commissioner Makary
regarding 7-OH and Kratom: 8-6-25
Makary.mp4 - Google Drive
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my story and
to read these facts.
You rs Tru ly,
Shannon Hareld