Revision History: Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema
2026-04-21 16:22:15
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema = * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together <blockquote> * Let’s give him a round of applause * Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice * And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it * Their time, their energy, their voice * And for this bill, that person was Dean </blockquote> * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills <blockquote> * I didn’t think it would get much attention * I thought it would be fairly quiet * Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is * And this wasn’t a ban * It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections </blockquote> * So I thought, who would oppose that <blockquote> * And I found out the answer very quickly * The American Kratom Association </blockquote> * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill <blockquote> * Then they came back again * Then again * Then every single day </blockquote> * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us <blockquote> * They lied * They said you can’t overdose on kratom * They said it can’t hurt you - * They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different + * They said mitragynine and 7-OH are completely different (conveniently they left out the part where mitragynine turns into 7-OH) </blockquote> * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation <blockquote> * It was when it became personal * They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different * They spread lies about Dean * They called his son a liar * They invented conversations that never happened </blockquote> * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product <blockquote> * It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you * Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly * You don’t actually believe in your product </blockquote> * And the truth is this <blockquote> * Kratom is not harmless - * It is not risk-free + * And it's not risk-free - * It has opioid-like effects + * And as a drug, it is an opioid * And Virginians deserve to know that </blockquote> - * The opposition loved to play games with language + * The opposition loved to play games with language; they love semantics <blockquote> - * “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” + * “This doctor is affiliated with a prestigious institution” - * But maybe not anymore + * But maybe not anymore - * “This compound is different” + * "This expert is doing groundbreaking work in their field and they think kratom is great" - * But also maybe it occurs naturally + * But they receive a paycheck from the AKA - * Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people + * “This compound is different” - </blockquote> + * But also maybe it occurs naturally - + * Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people - * But here’s what I’m proud of + </blockquote> - <blockquote> + * But here’s what I’m proud of - * Democrats and Republicans saw through it + - * Law enforcement saw through it + <blockquote> - * Local leaders saw through it + * My colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, delegates and senators, saw through it - * And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too + * Law enforcement saw through it - </blockquote> + * Local leaders saw through it - + * And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too - * Because this bill is now law + </blockquote> - <blockquote> + * Because this bill is now law - * And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal + <blockquote> - * Products must carry a label that says: + * And in about 70 days, these protections go into effect - * “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” + * It will be illegal to sell kratom without clear warnings - </blockquote> + * And every package will carry this label: - + <blockquote> - * That matters + * “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” - + </blockquote> - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - * Because this is about informed consent + - * This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies + * That matters - </blockquote> + - + <blockquote> - * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians + * Because this is about informed consent - + * This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - * And we’re sending a message beyond our state + - * That enough is enough + * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians - * Consumers deserve the truth + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - + * And we’re sending a message beyond our state - * And I’ll be honest + * That enough is enough - + * Consumers deserve the truth - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - * There is still more work to do + - * This issue is not going away + * And I’ll be honest - * And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - + * There is still more work to do - * Thank you all for being here + * This issue is not going away - + * And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - * And thank you for continuing this fight + - </blockquote> + * Thank you all for being here + + <blockquote> + * And thank you for continuing this fight + </blockquote>
2026-04-21 16:14:07
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema = * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together <blockquote> * Let’s give him a round of applause * Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice * And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it * Their time, their energy, their voice * And for this bill, that person was Dean </blockquote> * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills <blockquote> * I didn’t think it would get much attention * I thought it would be fairly quiet * Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is * And this wasn’t a ban * It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections </blockquote> * So I thought, who would oppose that <blockquote> * And I found out the answer very quickly * The American Kratom Association </blockquote> * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill <blockquote> * Then they came back again * Then again * Then every single day </blockquote> * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us <blockquote> * They lied * They said you can’t overdose on kratom * They said it can’t hurt you * They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different </blockquote> * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation <blockquote> * It was when it became personal * They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different * They spread lies about Dean * They called his son a liar * They invented conversations that never happened </blockquote> * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product <blockquote> * It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you * Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly * You don’t actually believe in your product </blockquote> * And the truth is this <blockquote> * Kratom is not harmless * It is not risk-free * It has opioid-like effects * And Virginians deserve to know that </blockquote> * The opposition loved to play games with language <blockquote> * “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” * But maybe not anymore * “This compound is different” * But also maybe it occurs naturally * Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people </blockquote> * But here’s what I’m proud of <blockquote> * Democrats and Republicans saw through it * Law enforcement saw through it * Local leaders saw through it * And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too </blockquote> * Because this bill is now law <blockquote> - * And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} + * And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal * Products must carry a label that says: * “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” </blockquote> * That matters <blockquote> * Because this is about informed consent * This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies </blockquote> * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians <blockquote> * And we’re sending a message beyond our state * That enough is enough * Consumers deserve the truth </blockquote> * And I’ll be honest <blockquote> * There is still more work to do * This issue is not going away * And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next </blockquote> * Thank you all for being here <blockquote> * And thank you for continuing this fight </blockquote>
2026-04-21 16:07:07
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema = - * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together + * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together - <blockquote> + - Let’s give him a round of applause + <blockquote> - </blockquote> + * Let’s give him a round of applause - <blockquote> + * Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice - Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice + * And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it - </blockquote> + * Their time, their energy, their voice - <blockquote> + * And for this bill, that person was Dean - And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it + </blockquote> - </blockquote> + - <blockquote> + * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills - Their time, their energy, their voice + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - <blockquote> + * I didn’t think it would get much attention - And for this bill, that person was Dean + * I thought it would be fairly quiet - </blockquote> + * Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is - + * And this wasn’t a ban - * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills + * It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - I didn’t think it would get much attention + - </blockquote> + * So I thought, who would oppose that - <blockquote> + - I thought it would be fairly quiet + <blockquote> - </blockquote> + * And I found out the answer very quickly - <blockquote> + * The American Kratom Association - Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is + </blockquote> - </blockquote> + - <blockquote> + * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill - And this wasn’t a ban + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - <blockquote> + * Then they came back again - It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections + * Then again - </blockquote> + * Then every single day - + </blockquote> - * So I thought, who would oppose that + - <blockquote> + * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us - And I found out the answer very quickly + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - <blockquote> + * They lied - The American Kratom Association + * They said you can’t overdose on kratom - </blockquote> + * They said it can’t hurt you - + * They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different - * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill + </blockquote> - <blockquote> + - Then they came back again + * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - Then again + * It was when it became personal - </blockquote> + * They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different - <blockquote> + * They spread lies about Dean - Then every single day + * They called his son a liar - </blockquote> + * They invented conversations that never happened - + </blockquote> - * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us + - <blockquote> + * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product - They lied + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - <blockquote> + * It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you - They said you can’t overdose on kratom + * Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly - </blockquote> + * You don’t actually believe in your product - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - They said it can’t hurt you + - </blockquote> + * And the truth is this - <blockquote> + - They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different + <blockquote> - </blockquote> + * Kratom is not harmless - + * It is not risk-free - * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation + * It has opioid-like effects - <blockquote> + * And Virginians deserve to know that - It was when it became personal + </blockquote> - </blockquote> + - <blockquote> + * The opposition loved to play games with language - They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - <blockquote> + * “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” - They spread lies about Dean + * But maybe not anymore - </blockquote> + * “This compound is different” - <blockquote> + * But also maybe it occurs naturally - They called his son a liar + * Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people </blockquote> - <blockquote> + - They invented conversations that never happened + * But here’s what I’m proud of - </blockquote> + - + <blockquote> - * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product + * Democrats and Republicans saw through it - <blockquote> + * Law enforcement saw through it - It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you + * Local leaders saw through it - </blockquote> + * And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly + - </blockquote> + * Because this bill is now law - <blockquote> + - You don’t actually believe in your product + <blockquote> - </blockquote> + * And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} - + * Products must carry a label that says: - * And the truth is this + * “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - Kratom is not harmless + - </blockquote> + * That matters - <blockquote> + - It is not risk-free + <blockquote> - </blockquote> + * Because this is about informed consent - <blockquote> + * This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies - It has opioid-like effects + </blockquote> - </blockquote> + - <blockquote> + * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians - And Virginians deserve to know that + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - + * And we’re sending a message beyond our state - * The opposition loved to play games with language + * That enough is enough - <blockquote> + * Consumers deserve the truth - “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” + </blockquote> - </blockquote> + - <blockquote> + * And I’ll be honest - But maybe not anymore + - </blockquote> + <blockquote> - <blockquote> + * There is still more work to do - “This compound is different” + * This issue is not going away - </blockquote> + * And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next - <blockquote> + </blockquote> - But also maybe it occurs naturally + - </blockquote> + * Thank you all for being here - <blockquote> + - Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people + <blockquote> - </blockquote> + * And thank you for continuing this fight - + </blockquote> - * But here’s what I’m proud of - <blockquote> - Democrats and Republicans saw through it - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - Law enforcement saw through it - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - Local leaders saw through it - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too - </blockquote> - - * Because this bill is now law - <blockquote> - And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - Products must carry a label that says: - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” - </blockquote> - - * That matters - <blockquote> - Because this is about informed consent - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies - </blockquote> - - * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians - <blockquote> - And we’re sending a message beyond our state - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - That enough is enough - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - Consumers deserve the truth - </blockquote> - - * And I’ll be honest - <blockquote> - There is still more work to do - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - This issue is not going away - </blockquote> - <blockquote> - And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next - </blockquote> - - * Thank you all for being here - <blockquote> - And thank you for continuing this fight - </blockquote>
2026-04-21 16:06:38
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
= Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema = * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together - > Let’s give him a round of applause + <blockquote> - > Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice + Let’s give him a round of applause - > And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it + </blockquote> - > Their time, their energy, their voice + <blockquote> - > And for this bill, that person was Dean + Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice - + </blockquote> - * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills + <blockquote> - > I didn’t think it would get much attention + And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it - > I thought it would be fairly quiet + </blockquote> - > Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is + <blockquote> - > And this wasn’t a ban + Their time, their energy, their voice - > It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections + </blockquote> - + <blockquote> - * So I thought, who would oppose that + And for this bill, that person was Dean - > And I found out the answer very quickly + </blockquote> - > The American Kratom Association + - + * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills - * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill + <blockquote> - > Then they came back again + I didn’t think it would get much attention - > Then again + </blockquote> - > Then every single day + <blockquote> - + I thought it would be fairly quiet - * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us + </blockquote> - > They lied + <blockquote> - > They said you can’t overdose on kratom + Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is - > They said it can’t hurt you + </blockquote> - > They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different + <blockquote> - + And this wasn’t a ban - * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation + </blockquote> - > It was when it became personal + <blockquote> - > They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different + It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections - > They spread lies about Dean + </blockquote> - > They called his son a liar + - > They invented conversations that never happened + * So I thought, who would oppose that - + <blockquote> - * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product + And I found out the answer very quickly - > It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you + </blockquote> - > Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly + <blockquote> - > You don’t actually believe in your product + The American Kratom Association - + </blockquote> - * And the truth is this + - > Kratom is not harmless + * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill - > It is not risk-free + <blockquote> - > It has opioid-like effects + Then they came back again - > And Virginians deserve to know that + </blockquote> - + <blockquote> - * The opposition loved to play games with language + Then again - > “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” + </blockquote> - > But maybe not anymore + <blockquote> - > “This compound is different” + Then every single day - > But also maybe it occurs naturally + </blockquote> - > Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people + - + * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us - * But here’s what I’m proud of + <blockquote> - > Democrats and Republicans saw through it + They lied - > Law enforcement saw through it + </blockquote> - > Local leaders saw through it + <blockquote> - > And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too + They said you can’t overdose on kratom - + </blockquote> - * Because this bill is now law + <blockquote> - > And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal + They said it can’t hurt you - > Products must carry a label that says: + </blockquote> - >> “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” + <blockquote> - + They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different - * That matters + </blockquote> - > Because this is about informed consent + - > This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies + * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation - + <blockquote> - * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians + It was when it became personal - > And we’re sending a message beyond our state + </blockquote> - > That enough is enough + <blockquote> - > Consumers deserve the truth + They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different - + </blockquote> - * And I’ll be honest + <blockquote> - > There is still more work to do + They spread lies about Dean - > This issue is not going away + </blockquote> - > And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next + <blockquote> - + They called his son a liar - * Thank you all for being here + </blockquote> - > And thank you for continuing this fight + <blockquote> + They invented conversations that never happened + </blockquote> + + * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product + <blockquote> + It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + You don’t actually believe in your product + </blockquote> + + * And the truth is this + <blockquote> + Kratom is not harmless + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + It is not risk-free + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + It has opioid-like effects + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + And Virginians deserve to know that + </blockquote> + + * The opposition loved to play games with language + <blockquote> + “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + But maybe not anymore + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + “This compound is different” + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + But also maybe it occurs naturally + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people + </blockquote> + + * But here’s what I’m proud of + <blockquote> + Democrats and Republicans saw through it + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + Law enforcement saw through it + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + Local leaders saw through it + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too + </blockquote> + + * Because this bill is now law + <blockquote> + And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + Products must carry a label that says: + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” + </blockquote> + + * That matters + <blockquote> + Because this is about informed consent + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies + </blockquote> + + * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians + <blockquote> + And we’re sending a message beyond our state + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + That enough is enough + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + Consumers deserve the truth + </blockquote> + + * And I’ll be honest + <blockquote> + There is still more work to do + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + This issue is not going away + </blockquote> + <blockquote> + And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next + </blockquote> + + * Thank you all for being here + <blockquote> + And thank you for continuing this fight + </blockquote>
2026-04-21 16:05:47
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
Edited by: 74.110.224.58
- == Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema == + = Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema = - + - Start writing your article here using '''Wikitext'''. + * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together + > Let’s give him a round of applause + > Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice + > And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it + > Their time, their energy, their voice + > And for this bill, that person was Dean + + * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills + > I didn’t think it would get much attention + > I thought it would be fairly quiet + > Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is + > And this wasn’t a ban + > It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections + + * So I thought, who would oppose that + > And I found out the answer very quickly + > The American Kratom Association + + * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill + > Then they came back again + > Then again + > Then every single day + + * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us + > They lied + > They said you can’t overdose on kratom + > They said it can’t hurt you + > They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different + + * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation + > It was when it became personal + > They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different + > They spread lies about Dean + > They called his son a liar + > They invented conversations that never happened + + * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product + > It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you + > Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly + > You don’t actually believe in your product + + * And the truth is this + > Kratom is not harmless + > It is not risk-free + > It has opioid-like effects + > And Virginians deserve to know that + + * The opposition loved to play games with language + > “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” + > But maybe not anymore + > “This compound is different” + > But also maybe it occurs naturally + > Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people + + * But here’s what I’m proud of + > Democrats and Republicans saw through it + > Law enforcement saw through it + > Local leaders saw through it + > And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too + + * Because this bill is now law + > And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal + > Products must carry a label that says: + >> “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” + + * That matters + > Because this is about informed consent + > This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies + + * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians + > And we’re sending a message beyond our state + > That enough is enough + > Consumers deserve the truth + + * And I’ll be honest + > There is still more work to do + > This issue is not going away + > And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next + + * Thank you all for being here + > And thank you for continuing this fight
Initial version (2026-04-21 16:04:50)
Created by: 74.110.224.58
Created by: 74.110.224.58
- == Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema == + = Speech on Kratom at Bowtie Cinema = - + - Start writing your article here using '''Wikitext'''. + * First, I want to thank Dean for putting this event together + > Let’s give him a round of applause + > Because I’ll tell you, as a legislator, sometimes you introduce a bill and you don’t know if anyone will notice + > And every once in a while, someone shows up out of the blue and pours everything they have into it + > Their time, their energy, their voice + > And for this bill, that person was Dean + + * And HB360, our kratom consumer protection bill, was one of those bills + > I didn’t think it would get much attention + > I thought it would be fairly quiet + > Because when you say “kratom,” most people still don’t even know what that is + > And this wasn’t a ban + > It was a simple idea: give consumers clear information and basic protections + + * So I thought, who would oppose that + > And I found out the answer very quickly + > The American Kratom Association + + * Within a week, they were in our office asking us to rewrite the bill + > Then they came back again + > Then again + > Then every single day + + * And from day one, they didn’t just disagree with us + > They lied + > They said you can’t overdose on kratom + > They said it can’t hurt you + > They said kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine are completely different + + * But what stuck with me most wasn’t just the misinformation + > It was when it became personal + > They told me one thing and told my chief of staff something completely different + > They spread lies about Dean + > They called his son a liar + > They invented conversations that never happened + + * It’s one thing to believe strongly in your product + > It’s another to try to manipulate everyone around you + > Because when you do that, it shows something very clearly + > You don’t actually believe in your product + + * And the truth is this + > Kratom is not harmless + > It is not risk-free + > It has opioid-like effects + > And Virginians deserve to know that + + * The opposition loved to play games with language + > “This expert is affiliated with a prestigious institution” + > But maybe not anymore + > “This compound is different” + > But also maybe it occurs naturally + > Always just enough ambiguity to confuse people + + * But here’s what I’m proud of + > Democrats and Republicans saw through it + > Law enforcement saw through it + > Local leaders saw through it + > And now, Virginians will be able to see through it too + + * Because this bill is now law + > And under that law, selling kratom without clear warnings is illegal + > Products must carry a label that says: + >> “Kratom may cause dependence and opioid-like withdrawal.” + + * That matters + > Because this is about informed consent + > This is about making sure people understand what they are putting into their bodies + + * We’ve taken an important step toward protecting Virginians + > And we’re sending a message beyond our state + > That enough is enough + > Consumers deserve the truth + + * And I’ll be honest + > There is still more work to do + > This issue is not going away + > And I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues on what comes next + + * Thank you all for being here + > And thank you for continuing this fight