@will @PaulKemp @Susan-Ash
This is the current home page of the American Kratom Association ( https://www.americankratom.org/) . I was wondering what you think about this?
@will @PaulKemp @Susan-Ash Thi
@PaulKemp I did not realize they started advertising for vendors especially with the first 3 being extract vendors. Seams a bit like a conflict of interest.
what @Paul said, except plus gross (but this is all I see & all I’m commenting on - I have not visited the page to determine what the narrative behind this is)
@Susan-Ash thanks for commenting. I would highly recommend you click around. It was quite shocking to see that.
@Susan-Ash do you have any thoughts on the AKA’s new “truth in labeling program”? I would think it wouldn’t be the best move for the advocacy organization to act as a regulatory board.
@guywithtrees 113,786. But I’ll keep them to myself for now and address in my own way by working on different kind of campaign.
@Susan-Ash said: understandable, I’m not really sure what 113,786 means. What’s going on with the different campaign? I would love to hear what you have going on!
@guywithtrees that’s the number of thoughts I have 😉. I actually don’t know your identity and am not one to discuss much publicly these days, but I’m always working on something!
@Susan-Ash this is me. My name is Walt. I'm @will partner.
Nice to meet you by the way! I have heard a lot of good things about you. :) Glad to have a true kratom advocate with us on the #kratomapp.
It’s the nature of businesses that are successful to want to grow and — as a result of their financial success, they gain clout with the nonprofits that need money to do their mission. This should not be surprising.
@guywithtrees The purpose of the program you have referenced is to solicit funds to promote a kratom consumer advertising campaign where the stories of kratom consumers are placed on TV in targeted media markets where key Members of Congress and state legislators who serve on influencer committees will see first hand, along with their constituents the benefits kratom provides to real people. This is a campaign that will cost $1 - $2 million dollars -- depending on how much can be raised. This program simply recognizes those vendors who step up to make a substantial financial commitment for this program.
AKA also continues to fund a robust state and federal lobbying campaign -- in nearly two dozen states -- to pass the KCPA. It is easy -- very easy -- for some to sit on the sidelines and offer to make private comments. I will do so publicly, and will respond to any questions personally that can then be made public. I am happy to discuss this with you anytime we can find a mutually convenient time. That is how easy it is to get the answers to your questions. No drama, no secret conversations that have to be kept confidential, just an explanation of the strategic plan for expanding the understanding of kratom and its value proposition for consumers. My email is mhaddow@americankratom.org.
@guywithtrees This is a recognition campaign for supporting a broad-based kratom education campaign for the public and elected officials. Everything I have to say is public, and any personal conversations can be made public. The "private conversations" and "pm" messages appear to be methods and practices to avoid accountability. Criticism is fine if informed by the facts. You should consider the source for any invitation to have a non-public conversation that cannot benefit from the sanitizing effects of sunlight on every comment. I am glad to discuss issues of concern, but none of those discussions are private. I would be glad to do a Zoom call with you and any who want to criticize from the shadows to respond to every question. My email is mhaddow@americankratom.org.
@machaddow I do very much appreciate your summation and justification of this program, as that certainly makes more sense than what I clearly stated was an assumption based on one image.
But alas, as usual, you have me all wrong. This wasn’t taken private for any reason but for an introduction from someone I thought to be a stranger.
Thanks for always being on the ball with the assumptions and resulting attacks and insults though; I’ve gotten a PhD level course in you trying to keep folks on their toes 🙏🏻😉❤️. And that’s why I keep my business private.
So for the good of Kratom, I will not respond further or again to such questions even if I feel I’m being unfairly attacked, because that’s still all that matters to me.
@Susan-Ash Susan, there is an old adage from Proverbs where "a guilty man fleeth where no man pursueth." I did not mention you by name because you are not the only one who promises to share opinions in "private." My point for all, including you, is that I am open and willing to have public conversations, or one-on-one conversations that can be shared (if done so accurately). It is easy to say things in such private communications that have no accountability to the truth, or that would benefit from explanations that correct misimpressions that might exist.
I sincerely honor and respect the passion and commitment you have to the kratom cause, but you insist that must include some sort of public praise before any conversation can take place and a demand -- that you made to me personally -- that you be given some absolution from the facts that led to your departure from the AKA.
One last adage: One step forward, and two steps back. Which direction are you moving in support of the "big-picture" effort to protect and preserve legal access to safe and pure kratom products for consumers? I am not referring to promoting your kratom branded product, or some personal PR effort to rehabilitate some perceived slight.
@guywithtrees I thought the vendors on that page were the ones who had paid the dues and done the training for good manufacturing practices.
there are some vendors who will remain nameless, I'm not sure what they're outright what their goal was but what actually happened was they got a lot of people worked up and very angry over the announcement that the truth in labeling program and when they did that without actually educating people on what was going on and still for a lot of reasons it's kind of unclear what that program is for first they tell us it's to report City Thunders because of not following good manufacturing practices then they tell us it's the campaign to get kratom in to the media and commercials. That's a good idea I love the thought of seeing Kratom commercials in a positive light my problem is this specific person decided they were going to post videos and basically by the truth in labeling program and they got a lot of people riled up. I don't know if I was the only one who got angry about this post but I did and the next thing I know after I spoke out on this specific action I was verbally accosted on Facebook so I'm staying away from there for now. If they ever do have Kratom commercials on TV I will be recording them and be grateful about it. I also know are time is extremely expensive. Sorry if it sounded like I was ranting or rambling I'm just trying to clear the air on a few things
@Monnie-Fuq-LaVenus Actually, that is a different program where vendors agree to adhere to GMP standards in processing kratom products. That list of qualified vendors is a distinctly different program that addresses quality and safety issues, and that listing is available to all vendors who commit to those standards.
@Monnie-Fuq-LaVenus Kratom consumers are a diverse advocacy community, and sometimes the strongly held views of some lead to unfortunate comments that should have had more thought. There are a number of video resources available to help understand these programs, and the newest two are the kratom education advertisements (stay tuned because they will be rolled out very soon) and the AKA Truth in Labeling Program. The Truth in Labeling Program is designed to protect us from the FDA's most recent strategy to claim the inappropriate and illegal health claims made by some kratom vendors reflects the conduct of the vast majority of kratom vendors -- which it does not. We have to fight the FDA at multiple levels, and this is the newest battleground they have opened up. I thank you for your understanding and willingness to listen to the explanations of the intent and structure of these programs.
@machaddow Thanks for proving my point about making inaccurate assumptions. I literally want nothing from you but for your public and private bullying of me to stop. I used to want you to tell the truth but gave up on that a long time ago.