Mitragyna Speciosa...

[kitty]

From an email I received this afternoon...

(Part 1)

refer to your submission of 16 January 2004 to the National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) concerning the inclusion of Mitragyna Speciosa in Schedule 9 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP).

Your submission was considered at NDPSC Meeting 40, held on 24-26 February 2004, and an edited extract of the ratified Minutes of the Meeting relating to this matter is attached for your information. It is anticipated that the amendment to the SUSDP will come into effect, by virtue of State and Territory legislation, on 1 September 2004.

Please note that in accordance with subsection 52D (4) of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, a notice advising of the amendment to the SUSDP was published in the Government Gazette on 9 April 2004. In accordance with subregulation 42CZY(1) of the Therapeutics Goods Regulations 1990, persons who made a submission in relation to the substance are invited to make a further submission to the NDPSC Secretary. Submissions must be made by 28 April 2004 and be relevant to the reasons underpinning the decision. Any submissions received will be considered at the next meeting of the NDPSC, to be held on 22-24 June 2004.

If you have any queries in relation to this matter, or wish to obtain further information, please contact the NDPSC Secretariat on (02) 6270 4400 or send your e-mail to this address: [email protected]

(Part 2)

13.2 Mitragyna speciosa

PURPOSE

The Committee considered the foreshadowed inclusion of Mitragyna Speciosa in Schedule 9 of the SUSDP.

BACKGROUND

The Mitragyna speciosa (also known as Kratom) tree is native to Thailand and Malaysia. Mitragynine, one of the alkaloids found in the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, has psychoactive properties and is used as an opium substitute. Mitragyna speciosa leaves are used extensively in Thailand (also in Malaysia) to increase work output and tolerance of direct sunlight, and are usually chewed, smoked or drunk as tea to achieve the desired affect. The leaves were chewed 3 to 10 times a day, with stimulant effects occurring after 5 to 10 minutes. Mitragyna speciosa is regulated in the same way as cocaine and heroin in Thailand and carries the same restrictions and penalties as cocaine.

The 37th, 38th and 39th NDPSC meetings (February, June and October 2003) considered the pharmacology, toxicology and the mode of action of mitragynine, the potential for abuse, and the potential impact of its inclusion in Schedule 9 (S9) of the SUSDP. It was recognised that whilst there were no widespread reports of abuse of mitragynine in Australia at this time, the information relating to the use of mitragynine for psychoactive effects, particularly in Asian countries, was well documented and easily found on the internet. At the October 2003 meeting, the Committee agreed to take a pro-active approach and included mitragynine in S9 of the SUSDP based on its potential for abuse (Decision 2003/39 – 23). In addition, the Committee noted information from Poisindex (Micromedex Healthcare) indicating that addiction and withdrawal symptoms had occurred with chronic use of Mitragyna speciosa, and agreed to foreshadow the inclusion of the plant species Mitragyna speciosa in S9 to allow further public comments to be considered at the February 2004 meeting.

DISCUSSION

The Committee noted the public submissions received from XXXXXXXXX, Messers, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, and XXXXXXXXX and the Office of Complementary Medicines (OCM).

XXXXXXXXX which did some pre-clinical trials with mitragynine in the 1970s, did not object to the inclusion of mitragynine and Mitragyna speciosa in Schedule 9. There was no further comment or additional information provided by the Office of Complementary Medicines. Several individuals (Messers XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXXX) opposed the proposal as Mitragyna Speciosa is currently grown as a rare ornamental plant with decorative value, or may be made available as herbal tea.

Mr XXXXXXXXX also highlighted the following points:

Experiments in New Zealand (Jansen & Prast, J Ethnopharmacol 1988) showed that mitragynine produced considerable and effective relief of withdrawal symptoms in methadone and heroin users.

Mitragyna speciosa could represent a billion dollars a year industry for Australian cultivators from mitraphylline which is also present in large amounts in the plants. Mitraphylline is an immuno-stimulant and has proved useful in the ongoing immuno-maintenance of cancers and AIDS patients.

A literature review, which included the Jansen and Prast paper (1988) and other relevant published papers, was considered by the Committee at its previous meeting. The potential effect of mitragynine in relieving withdrawal symptoms in methadone and heroin users is attributed to its opium-like action. In fact, habitual users of mitragynine could also develop marked withdrawal syndromes, which is demonstrated by recent studies through activating mu- and delta- subtypes of opioid receptors. Regarding mitraphylline and its pharmacotherapy effects, the Committee was not aware of any clinical information from the open literature.

The Committee considered that prohibition of Mitragyna Speciosa before the occurrence of widespread abuse is far more preferable from a public health and safety point of view. Members were reminded that jurisdictions are able to issue licences to allow Schedule 9 substances to be used for medical or scientific research purposes. It was mentioned by the NZ Member that the Schedule 9 inclusion of mitrogynine and Mitrogyna speciosa in Australia might suggest that NZ should also consider its scheduling in NZ.

DECISION 2004/40 - 27

The Committee agreed to include Mitrogyna speciosa in Schedule 9 of the SUSDP on the grounds of its potential for abuse.

Schedule 9 - New Entry

MITRAGYNA SPECIOSA.

---

:mad:

We need more people to lobby them about this...

[gomaos]

Those idiots based their scheduling on reports from Thailand and Malaysia?

Countries run by mass-murdering dictatorships?

I wonder if they would also listen to Saddam hussein or Bin laden?

Idiots, that's all I can say, bloody idiots!

[Darklight]

I have this to say and I say it yea verily.

SHIT.

At this point Western culture is a long way from adopting Mitragyna's traditional use patterns of Asian cultures. Anyone here see the morning cuppa being replaced with a quick kratom leaf chew-an'-spit over a power breakfast? Why are cross cultural comparisons for use being bought forward as evidence at this stage?

And they've stated that there is no widespread reports of use of mitragynine- let alone of Mitragyna. So- um, where's the threat?

Abuse potential? There are hundreds of compounds out there pharmaceutically unregulated- including petrol- which currently cause greater harm to small sections of the populace and are yet still available for over the counter purchase by ordinary mortals.

Surely in the event that a substance becomes a sudden risk then emergency procedures are available to fast track scheduling. Even in their absence, the six month window between a TGA meeting and a gazetted use-by date has yet to be proven inadequate

We have reliable if anecdotal evidence aplenty from ppl here claiming various activities for Mitragyna-- antimigrane, antiaddictive, pain relief- all of which well deserve further research. Not to mention the potential of another of Mitragyna's alkaloids for immunostimulant effects, which I wasn't aware of at all til now.

This is all lost to us now. Who are these guys kidding- we can apply for an S9 permit for further research? I have a tolerably secure & reasonably well equipped TC laboratory and even I don't have the facilities for storage, security, documentation etc required under the act. Let alone the research dollars. Which leaves such activities to government and academic institutions ( most of whom don't want the hassle with paperwork and staff clearances etc for short term grants involving what has been reclassified as a 'high risk' drug )- and large corporations.

Of course such research can always go offshore- however we have both the ideal climate *and* location in Australia, as well as existing infrastructure. Most of Europe and the US lack suitable climate to allow analysis of fresh material, India is a possibility of course, other parts of Asia, but Australia has been at the forefront of a resurgance of interest backed up with good networks prepared to produce hard data using local stock.

But it would have been a doddle to get it done here. And in time we could have used our facilities and our networks of increasingly knowledgable and trained people to do it ourselves and make our findings public domain. Or you could have done it too, over time, learned, discovered, shared your findings on this incredible plant which invites so much interest. But you can't now either, or you'll be a criminal, and even if you accept that you'll find you can't get your data accepted or even distributed effectively

I don't understand what such a ban will achieve, except to create a whole new bunch of criminals ripe for finger pointing. Oh, and to reinforce the notion that our health and notions of choice are well and truly out of community hands. And maybe to put the entheogenic community, who by and large seem to have an equal if not greater interest in general health issues, on the back foot by making us increasingly aware that plants of interest- and indeed our own discussions- are coming under greater scrutiny as *suspicious* rather than merely as part of our overall interest in physical, mental and spiritual health.

This is not only an appallingly inappropriate, premature and uneccessary theft of potential good from the public domain, it is yet another nail in the coffin for science as the provence of ANY enquiring mind.

This is probably one-a them illogical and incomprehensible rants which won't make sense in the morning. But I'm so angry I could spit.

Ten to one this goes underground for a dozen years then some megacorp patents something structurally similar

[Darklight]

Perhaps the SUSDP committee takes a dim view of its own competence and that of its affiliated organs.

After all, there aren't that many plants in Australia- any importer who had a dedicated aim of producing an epidemic of addiction would have to source serious bulk from overseas ( currently difficult for practical reasons ) extract into a yet to be determined universally applicable and easily delivered form- and pump the market quite hard for a few years in the hope that it *might* catch on.

This could be handled by a ban on importation- which obviously the TGA have no confidence in.

The demographic spread of Mitragyna is significantly unusual and in most places is likely to be spasmodic at best- lets face it, its not gunna be a popular outdoor giant in Melbourne any time soon. And many of the ppl who have shown interest or purchased plants are on the lower end of the income scale overall, which means a lot of plants will end up destroyed or lost over the years even though people's situations do change. Its not like everyone has land to plant them in, or can wait for them to set seed and sprout them in a pot when they get to the new place, or lump round an increasingly large pot full of coarse sharp sand in the back of the car while moving house every two years.

You can take cuttings with you of course... and you can distribute them. But how many people - here- even now- currently have ten friends each who could reliably grow these out to maturity- and maybe even put them in the ground? At present even the distribution of this species in Australia is a long way from epidemic- let alone protocols for recreational use. Let alone instances of it turning up as a real product on the black market.

And within Australia there is at least an equal amount of interest in the plant's ( traditional ) medicinal properties. If the SUSDP accept that it is possible for cross cultural exchange to occur so rapidly that it becomes a threat before it can be nipped in the bud- why can they not conclude that transfer of ideas for medicinal use are also equally probable and lower the schedule so that medical research can more readily take place?

Maybe the SUSDP is having one of those insecure days where it knows its future isn't exactly bright; its making heavy handed decisions *now* because it won't be round to handle things sensibly in ten years. Playing clairvoyant what-if's.

The history of my work with Mitragyna has been one of the most personally rewarding- and bizarre- chapters of an interesting and seriously bizarre life I was hoping as things progress that my skills base would increase to allow further work to take place studying its medicinal properties. And that maybe it would catch on, and other people would have the chance to take as bizarre and fulfilling a research path. Not a hope now guys, this species is out of culture as at 30 August and after that I never want to see another one again. These ppl are way too unstable to try to reckon with.

:mad:

[Guest electro]

didnt someone post that thailand was removing it from their schedules ?

if so thats a bit of a fucking joke ,... something decriminalised over there made illegal over here ...

i wonder when howard is going to start throwing bakers in gaol for life for baking poppy seeds into bread .,..

[Salviador]

I cannot find a flaw in those two posts you just wrote, Darklight. The committee itself has even admitted the theraputic use. Surely in this democratic society of ours, there is a way to argue this face to face. Can't we rebut what theyve said in the report?!

If only we could assemble a crew of professionals; lawyers versed in the ways of beauracracy, biologists, botanists, antropologists, im sure there is no way we could logically lose an argument.

I suppose there isnt anything like that we can do tho huh?

[Darklight]

After speaking to Thelema it's clear that this is stuff that all went into his submission.

If they ain't paid attention to it then, they aren't going to now, and it seems the only people who have a right to comment on the decision are those who made a submission to the SUSDP meeting on the topic prior to the original decision ( which I wasn't aware of til then )

Not sure if there's another way around it- there has to be, surely

[mescalito]

Nice one DL

Unfortunately this plant will prolly go the way of Cannabis and get pushed underground.

Forgive them not

for they KNOW what they do.

Keep at it guys...we're a pretty large minority considering.

[Thelema]

The best lesson might be to show that action equals reaction. Just imagine if this ban now made it into every state newspaper, radio news, and the Australian Newspaper, spurned on by letters to the editor. In short, bring it to the attention of every single person in australia that some plant theyve never even heard of is now a plant theyre forbidden from even looking at. The ensuing attention it receives might cause them to think twice in the future.

That being said, America has just RELEASED TFMPP from emergency temporary schedules!

What a crazy world, when the country that acts harshest towards it drug crimes allows tfmpp and research chemicals, where a more lenient country such as OZ is the first in the world to schedule salvia divinorum and Mitragyna. As far as I can see, Oz is the only country that is scheduling stuff "pro-actively"..."before it becomes a problem".

If something aint a problem, then surely it is in the interest of civil liberty to allow it?

[Darklight]

Thelema:

If something aint a problem, then surely it is in the interest of civil liberty to allow it?

Especially as prohibition has the potential to create an instant black market- making the new restrictions a self fulfilling prophesy

[theobromos]

One day every plant in the world will be a gateway drug (basil and oregano included) and everyone will be on heroin.

[kitty]

Thelema- you're brilliant! I've been whining about this to people I know, I should've thought to write in to papers...

chris.

[nabraxas]

first off i totally applaud any effort made to try & beat some sense into these wankers, & i did write to them expressing my rage.

but really---they don't give a shit. mescalito's right--they know what they want, & it's the total opposite ov everything this site stands for.

--we ARE in the middle ov a prolonged war on drugs, w/no quarter given.

In short, bring it to the attention of every single person in australia that some plant theyve never even heard of is now a plant theyre forbidden from even looking at. The ensuing attention it receives might cause them to think twice in the future -- the attention would last 2 days at most, before the next Posh 'n Becks/Paris Hilton/princess Diana story drives it out ov folks minds---it would most likely cause the NDPSC no worries at all at all---though it is a nice idea.