The leader of the AKA has been an antidrug warrior for decades. Its no surprise that every state they cAmpaign in tries to ban kratom.

The Strange Crusade of Mac Haddow: How an Old Drug Warrior Is Still Trying to Ban Kratom

Mac Haddow has spent decades fighting a losing war against drugs — literally. His crusade dates back to the Reagan administration, where he served as a staunch anti-drug advocate before his career was abruptly derailed by a conviction for defrauding a charity. (Los Angeles Times, 1987)

You’d think that history might have raised some red flags when Haddow later resurfaced to head a new “charity,” this time claiming to save a drug — kratom. But instead of skepticism, he was met with open arms. Even more surprising, kratom vendors and users began funneling money into his organization, trusting that he had the plant’s best interests at heart.

Unfortunately, that trust has not aged well. The organization Haddow represents — the so-called “American Kratom Association” — has repeatedly launched lobbying campaigns in states where kratom is already legal. But rather than protecting access, these efforts often focus on banning specific kratom alkaloids, using the same outdated, fear-based rhetoric that fueled the 1980s War on Drugs.

Their pitch to lawmakers? That kratom contains something “stronger and more dangerous than fentanyl.” Predictably, once politicians hear that, the result is not a targeted ban — it’s a total kratom ban.

This pattern has repeated itself across multiple states: the AKA campaigns, misinformation spreads, and legislators respond by banning kratom outright. Every. Single. Time.

It’s time for the kratom community — vendors, advocates, and consumers alike — to take a hard look at who they’re supporting. Mac Haddow is not a savior of kratom; he’s a relic of the Reagan-era drug panic, and his actions have consistently led to prohibition, not protection.

If we truly want to preserve safe, legal access to kratom, we need to stop funding the very movement that keeps getting it banned.