Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutShinholser LetterJOHN SHINHOLSER, AMERICAN VETERANS DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY FOR KRATOMSAFE! Shinholser@americankratom.org An American Kratom Association Program KratomAnswers.org I am John Shinholser, the Advocacy Director for the American Kratom Safe Initiative. I’m a USMC veteran, a father, son, husband, and a person in long-term recovery from substance use disorders, having been sober for over 42 years. My qualiflcations listed below allow me to testify expertly to the value of genuine Kratom products made from plants that meet FDA GMP standards. I encourage you to please verify anti-kratom information for scientiflc proof. Observe the motives of other industries and agencies. Be advised that there is a lot of misinformation about Kratom. Many experts observe that a repeat of prohibition and the damage it caused to the United States is at stake. The failed war on drugs is in full effect. Harmful kratom bans will exacerbate the loss of constitutional freedoms and liberties, whereas commonsense kratom regulations address most, if not all, of the concerns associated with genuine kratom products. Personal Kratom Experience Around 2012, Kratom began appearing on the random drug tests for participants in our substance use disorder recovery program; these individuals exhibited no signs of substance use and were exemplary participants, in contrast to those on pharmaceutical medications like methadone, suboxone, and other psychotropic drugs, which were clearly visible. When we inquired about what kratom was and why they used it, they explained that it helps with their anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD, as well as alleviating opiate cravings, among other issues. Then we started hearing that it helps alleviate the harsh detox symptoms of opiate withdrawal. In 2016, we conducted a “pilot survey” in collaboration with a scientist, a sober home facility and a processor. Essentially, we took to the streets and engaged 30 opiate addicts, offering them a week in sober living along with access to natural powdered Kratom. Of those, 29 out of 30 participants successfully completed 7 days opiate-free, with many ending up completely substance-free by the end (we utilized a step-down Kratom system), much like the old days with buprenorphine. Shortly after this survey, Virginia expanded Medicaid, and now it seems there’s a Suboxone clinic on every block. I spent many years connecting with thousands of kratom consumers nationwide. I reviewed over 500 scientiflc studies to understand the “good, bad, and ugly deeply.” Many abused legal products like airplane glue, Nitrous Oxide “laughing gas”, cold medicines etc. are typically regulated as needed and are rarely banned. This is what I find to be factual and truthful… • The “vast majority” of responsible adult consumers of genuine kratom products do not experience issues with consumption. Additionally, kratom serves as a solution for many conditions, problems, or purposes of use. • Few consumers misuse kratom; according to a Johns Hopkins study, kratom has a 3% addiction potential. Keep in mind addiction is a mental illness, in part that means addiction has more “to do” with gene mapping and other underlying conditions. Natural kratom products compared to other addicted products is one of the safest substances to be addicted to. • The few consumers who become addicted can typically access clinical interventions or other recovery pathways and may successfully recover fully. • The only objections I have witnessed to regulating kratom for over-the-counter sales come from suboxone doctors, pharmacists, bureaucrats, trial lawyers, and individuals impacted by their loved ones' addictions. • Fentanyl and other opiate addicts use kratom in their search for their next flx to alleviate cravings. Additionally, both illicit and legal drug users, as well as alcohol users, turn to kratom to minimize harm or stop using more dangerous substances. • For those who “chase the dragon,” natural kratom products have a “ceiling” regarding its psychoactive effects and does not suppress heart function. Essentially, it is nearly impossible to overdose on kratom. When taken in higher doses, it acts as a partial agonist (like buprenorphine) rather than a full agonist like opiates. • Every case I’ve encountered where a consumer experienced an adverse effect has been due to adulterated products, overconsumption, polydrug use, an unknown or undiagnosed medical condition, or abuse. • Kratom has signiflcantly contributed to the reduction of our nation’s overdose deaths. It has also played a crucial role in decreasing other substance use disorders, such as alcoholism, prescription misuse, and the illicit use of various substances. • Responsible adult consumers seek the freedom to choose healing botanicals rather than feeling compelled to use pharmaceuticals, which often cause more harm in many instances. • Veterans, retirees, individuals with chronic pain, and underserved populations view kratom as essential support for enhancing their quality of life. • Virginia has enacted a Kratom Consumer Protection Act along with eighteen other states. This law allows adults to access FDA regulatory guidance on GMP products over the counter. Virginia does not have issues with authentic GMP kratom products and does not face a public safety problem. Scientiflc evidence indicates that kratom has minimal to no effect on driving. In simple terms, kratom works effectively! • Special interest groups and uninformed ideologues have demonized kratom. • Good American adult consumers are horrifled, angry, and frustrated that their “solution” is colonizing them and destroying their lives. • The 1994 DSHEA Act congressionally guarantees that genuine kratom products may be imported and processed according to FDA regulatory guidelines for good manufacturing practices. • The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has heavily invested in kratom research and clearly supports its development, as have many other industry leaders. Kratom has well over 500 scientiflc studies completed, with more than 100 peer-reviewed. Many of our nation’s (and worldwide) universities and medical research institutions have ongoing human trials and studies. • https://vimeo.com/711837665 • The FDA clearly shows a bias against kratom and oversteps its authority to undermine the value of kratom, suspiciously guarding its funding resources. In simple terms, Kratom saves lives and is highly beneflcial for responsible over-the- counter access for adults. Yes, it does need regulation, much like the 16 other states that have successfully done so. Kratom is an excellent harm reduction tool, one of the best I have ever encountered. I know you have plenty of scientiflc evidence. When the facts and the truth are combined with common sense, all will be well. Qualifications: John Shinholser served as President and then as President Emeritus of the McShin Foundation. It was founded in 2004 and named after its two recovering co-founders, John Shinholser and Carol McDaid—Virginia’s largest and most valued Authentic Recovery Community Organization. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran and previously owned a successful contracting business for over 30 years. He was President of the Richmond Chapter of the Painting and Decorating Contractors Association during that time. John also served as president of Central Virginia’s SAARA (Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance) and was a former SAARA of Virginia board member from 2001 to 2005. He spent twelve years on the board of directors of Rubicon, Inc., the last two as Chairman (1999-2013), at the time, Virginia's most comprehensive substance abuse treatment facility (230 beds). John was a subject matter expert for The Peer Recovery Center of Excellence, a peer-led national center providing training and technical assistance for substance use disorder recovery based at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). This center was authorized under Section 7152 of the SUPPORT Act for patients and communities and funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). John served on the National Peer Recovery Alliance board in 2022 and 2023. In 2005, John was honored with the prestigious America Honors Recovery Award from the Johnson Institute, being one of six recipients recognized nationally that year. Along with his wife, Carol McDaid, he also received the Caron Foundation's Outstanding Alumni Award in 2005. In 2006, John was awarded the coveted OSAS (Virginia State Office of Substance Abuse Services) Award of Virginia for Signiflcant Contributions to the Field of Substance Use Disorder Recovery, making him the flrst member of the recovering community to receive this honor. John received the Visionary Leadership Award from the Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies in 2022. Under John’s leadership, McShin won the Recovery Community Organization of the Year Award for the United States and the Joel Hernandez Award presented by Faces and Voices of Recovery at a Washington D.C. ceremony in June 2011. Additionally, under John’s guidance, McShin claimed the national SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration) Recovery Month 2011 Flicker Award. McShin also won the SAMHSA Special Event of the Year award in 2014. John was honored as a nominee for the Richmond Times Dispatch 2016 Person of the Year. The McShin Foundation is a nationally accredited recovery community organization (CAPRSS). The Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services (CAPRSS) is the only accrediting body in the U.S. speciflcally for Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs) and other programs offering addiction Peer Recovery Support Services (PRSS). John co-wrote the McShin Recovery Coach manual and was featured in numerous publications, including Addiction Professional Magazine, Newsweek, The Richmond Times Dispatch, The Mechanicsville Local, Richmond Free Press, The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, VA, North of The James Magazine, and many other local papers across Virginia, the U.S., and the U.K., as well as in the Virginia Association of Community Service Boards 2005 Annual Report. He has appeared in various news broadcasts and national documentaries, including Face the Nation, The Anonymous People, and Heroin, the Hardest Hit, to name a few. The McShin training curriculum is state-approved in WV, CT, and NY. John is an approved NAADAC CE Provider in all 50 states. Arkansas has adopted the McShin Model for its emerging Recovery Community Organizations. John served as an appointed citizen member of the Virginia General Assembly’s joint Senate/House subcommittee on substance abuse from 2008 to 2010 (SJ77). He was also a member of the Henrico County Drug Court Advisory Council and acted as an Honorary Deputy for the Richmond City Sheriff's Office. In 2013, John graduated from the Hanover County Sheriff’s Citizens Police Academy. In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly honored John Shinholser, Carol McDaid, and McShin with House Resolution 738, recognized McShin as a pioneer in establishing the peer recovery support model, Recovery Community Organization, and Recovery Residence model in Virginia. John was acknowledged on the House fioor of the U.S. Congress (118th) on December 1st, 2023, by Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. State Senator VanValkenburg presented John with SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 174 from the 2024 Virginia General Assembly. McShin was the flrst Virginia organization to train and certify peers; it was also the flrst National Alliance of Recovery Residence in Virginia. John traveled the country to provide authentic recovery coach training, and he and Carol traveled to Wales in 2011 to participate in the flrst U.K. recovery walk along with the launch of The Living Room in Cardiff, a Recovery Community Center. John has conducted multiple tours in the U.K., delivering recovery training, and has crisscrossed the country, providing recovery talks and training in correctional facilities across forty-six states. John has testifled, presented, facilitated, and been a keynote/featured speaker over a thousand times at various conferences, conventions, work groups, and forums on topics of recovery and solutions for substance use disorders. John retired from McShin on 12/31/2023 and is currently the Director of American Veterans for Kratom Safe. He resides in Ashland, Hanover County, Virginia, with his wife Carol and is working on his autobiography. He has enjoyed long-term recovery since August 10th, 1982.