"My dad, Marshall Price, found kratom in 2019 after nearly 20 years of opioid use disorder. He spent many years suffering from his addiction until he found kratom. With kratom, his scabs healed, he gained weight, gained employment, and reconnected with his family. Unfortunately for Marshall Price and our family, kratom is banned in Arkansas. He was arrested for Kratom in 2021 and in 2022 he was sentenced to 10 years in the Department of Corrections. This was a grave injustice. Kratom saved his life, gave him a more normal life. Marshall Price’s story gets worse. Merely 3 weeks into his sentence he was beaten and experienced cruel and unusual punishment. Several of his constitutional rights were violated which resulted in his death. He leaves behind 5 children who have been massively heartbroken by his passing. He should have never been there. He only wanted to help himself with the use of kratom. Kratom consumers should not be subjected to punitive punishment, which is what you are calling for when you vote yes for a ban. Studies show that imprisonment worsens a person’s life tremendously- beyond their time in jail. Jail/prison will negatively affect their mental and physical health. It will negatively affect their job, their family. On behalf of Marshall and our family I ask that you vote no to a kratom ban. Kratom is a wonderful plant that helped our father."