{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-johnson-applauds-dea-decision-withdraw-banning-kratom", "Rep. Johnson applauds DEA decision to withdraw kratom ban", "2016-10-13", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "GA", "Hank Johnson", "J000288", "hankjohnson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Agency will now hold public comment period until Dec. 1\nLITHONIA, GA \u2013 This week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reversed its decision to ban the use of kratom, a plant that researchers say could help fight the opioid epidemic.\nOn Sept. 30, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) \u2013 along with colleague Mark Pocan (WI-02) \u2013 penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch objecting to the DEA\u2019s hasty decision to classify kratom as a Schedule 1 substance without first going through its normal classification and rulemaking process.\nNotice of the DEA withdrawing its intent to ban the drug will appear in the Federal Register today.\n\u201cI appreciate Attorney General Lynch listening to our concerns,\u201d said Rep. Johnson. \u201cAnd we appreciate the DEA\u2019s desire to protect the American people from potentially harmful substances. In this case though, the DEA overstepped its authority and went straight to ban kratom without proper review and studies and without defending its view to Congress.\u201d\nKratom is a plant in the coffee family found primarily in Southeast Asia. Many consumers use kratom to treat pain and wean themselves off more powerful, dangerous opioids. Researchers working with kratom say they are trying to develop a non-addictive painkiller alternative to powerful opioids. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that opioids contributed to the deaths of more than 28,600 Americans in 2014.\nThe DEA will now open a public comment period until Dec. 1 and is asking the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track \u201cscientific and medical evaluation and scheduling recommendation\u201d for the active chemical compounds in kratom.\nLetter to AG Lynch\nSeptember 30, 2016\nHonorable Loretta E. Lynch\nAttorney General\nU.S. Department of Justice\n950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\nWashington, DC 20530-0001\nDear Attorney General Lynch,\nWe are writing to object to DEA\u2019s hasty decision to classify the drug known as Kratom as a Schedule I substance. In particular, we are troubled by the DEA\u2019s irregular deviation from its classification procedure in order to list Kratom as a Schedule I substance. We call on you to stay the effective date of this proposed rule.\nIn order to schedule a drug, the DEA must undertake a rulemaking process, which involves consultation with the FDA, notice of the proposed rule in the Federal Register, and an opportunity for public comment and a hearing. Under this standard process, DEA must consider eight factors as part of its analysis, as listed in 21 U.S.C. \u00a7 811(c). However, in its decision to classify Kratom as a Schedule I substance, DEA instead utilized a statutory authority to temporarily bypass the rulemaking process as well as the notice and public comment period. However, under 5 U.S.C. \u00a7 705, an agency may postpone the effective date of an action when justice requires it. As the head of the Department of Justice, which oversees the DEA, we ask you to stay the effective date of this rule, so that the appropriate notice and public comment period may take place.\nCongress granted DEA this authority in response to the emergence of \u201cdesigner drugs.\u201d Designer drugs are those newly invented or newly produced in laboratories and are designed to mimic the effects of scheduled substances while avoiding federal regulation. Kratom, though relatively new to the United States, does not fit this description. It is a natural substance that has been used in other parts of the world for centuries.\nFurthermore, Congress granted DEA this emergency authority \u201cto avoid imminent hazards to public safety.\u201d While a recent CDC study does note the number of calls to poison control centers mentioning Kratom use has increased, the data does not indicate that Kratom was solely responsible for the calls. Without more concrete data and analysis, it is difficult to claim Kratom represents an \u201cimminent hazard.\u201d Access to improved data and further studies will now be impossible to gather should Kratom be scheduled as Schedule I substance.\nWe appreciate the DEA\u2019s desire to protect Americans from potentially harmful substances. However, in this case DEA has overstepped its authority in a manner that is inconsistent with the intent of the statutory authority it was given by Congress. In effect, the DEA removed any opportunity for the agency to be held accountable for its decision making. If the DEA believes that Kratom is of notable detriment to Americans and wishes for it to be scheduled, it should follow normal procedure and rigorously defend its views to Congress, the FDA and the public. It is for these reasons you should stay the effective date of rule and allow for the appropriate notice and comment period to take place.\nWe thank you for your consideration and look forward to your timely response.\u00a0\u00a0\nSincerely,\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\nHenry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mark Pocan\nMember of Congress \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Member of Congress\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-johnson-applauds-dea-decision-withdraw-banning-kratom"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9495592676103115, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}