u/Open-Bowl-9572

Hi Advocates,

We are hearing that a final decision on federal scheduling of 7-OH has NOT yet been made.

Let’s pause and reflect on the good news: we didn’t get banned on August 6th like some people said we would (laughing and or sweating emoji)

That matters.

For weeks, we have been fighting against an outcome that many have treated as inevitable. But today, the decision remains pending. We have heard that the Administration may need more information before they can make a decision. This is another important opportunity to keep making our voices heard.

And that is exactly what we intend to do.

We have already shown what our community can accomplish when we act together. Tens of thousands of comments, tens of thousands of petition signatures, calls to the White House and an incredible amount of public advocacy have made it impossible to ignore the people who would be directly affected by this decision.

So while they are deliberating , we are going to keep speaking up.

This week, we want to recognize one member of this community who has taken advocacy into her own hands.

ADVOCATE SPOTLIGHT: Reddit User Plastic_Bunch_1764

Reddit user Plastic_Bunch_1764 spent more than eight hours researching members of Congress, identifying lawmakers who may be especially important to this fight, developing talking points and then personally calling their offices.

And something happened:

Offices started calling her back asking for more information.

As she wrote:

“That matters. It means they ARE listening. They DO care. And our calls ARE getting their attention.”

We could not agree more.

She has encouraged advocates to contact a targeted group of lawmakers, including Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Summer Lee and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Her advice is simple: call, be respectful, personalize your message and tell them why this issue matters to you.

You do not need to be a policy expert. You do not need to give a five-minute speech. You just need to make your voice heard.

You can read her whole post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/7\_HOPE\_Alliance/s/P08sjO7SYM

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

We are asking every 7-HOPE advocate to follow her lead.

First, call the lawmakers above and ask them to oppose federal scheduling of 7-OH and support a science-based regulatory approach instead of prohibition.

Then, call YOUR own members of Congress. Your voice can be especially powerful with the people elected to represent you.

If you haven’t called the White House, get your call in.

Find Your Representatives Here

When you call, tell them who you are, where you live and why maintaining responsible access to 7-OH matters to you. If you use 7-OH, tell your story. Personal stories are something no talking point or statistic can replace.

And remember Plastic_Bunch_1764’s advice: make the message your own. Offices need to hear from real people, not hundreds of identical scripts.

One call may seem small. But hundreds or thousands of calls become impossible to ignore.

HELP US KEEP FIGHTING

There is another way you can help right now.

This fight takes resources. Every dollar donated to 7-HOPE helps us continue our advocacy, education and outreach, work with our partners, mobilize this incredible community and make sure decision-makers continue hearing from the people who would be directly impacted by a 7-OH ban.

If you are able, please consider making a donation today to help us keep this fight going.

DONATE NOW TO HELP SAVE 7-OH

Remember, the decision has still not been made! That means there is still an opportunity to make a difference.

Keep calling. Keep sharing. Keep fighting. And if you can, help us fund the fight.

Our voices ARE being heard.

We are not done.

With gratitude,

Jackie Subeck Executive Director 7-HOPE Alliance

This ban isn't about public safety. Banning a safe alkaloid that helps people with chronic pain and harm reduction will only hurt people, not help them. This ban is based on misinformation, control, and corporate greed. Please take a few minutes to make your voice heard by leaving a comment with HHS. Links to make comments are pinned in the comment section on this post.

We have over 24k comments on HHS so far. Incredible work everyone 👏  We have a couple days left to get as many comments as possible and need everyone's help🙏

If you haven't submitted a comment to HHS yet, please take a few minutes to do it. Every unique comment helps show that real people are paying attention and that this issue matters. The DEA can't ignore such a large volume of comments.

If you've already commented, please ask your friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers to submit one too. Even if they don't use 7oh themselves, they can explain how 7oh has helped someone they know and why they support reasonable regulation instead of an effective ban.

You can also submit multiple comments yourself as long as each one covers a different topic. For example, one can focus on your personal story, another on the proposed threshold, another on the available science, or another on why a milligram-based serving limit would make more sense. Just make sure each comment is genuinely different.

Please do NOT submit comments under different names. If you submit more than one comment, they should all be under your real name (or all anonymously if you choose that option). Using different identities is not appropriate or allowed.

If you previously submitted the SSDP template without adding any personal details or original thoughts, please consider submitting another comment. A personalized comment carries much more weight than a template alone.

If you need help writing a comment, you can use the comment builder tool on the 7 Hope Alliance website or submit one directly through the HHS comment portal. I will include links to both pinned in the comment section on this post. 

We're running out of time. Comments are due by 7/31. If everyone does their part and encourages just a few other people to comment, it can make a real difference. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to speak up. 💚

Join us live all day from 10am ET until 5pm ET. You can stay all day or hop on whenever you want. We'll be featuring plenty of great speakers, live comment tutorial & open Q&A, a social media takeover and community video stories. Let's show people the truth about 7-OH and get in tons of personal HHS comments submitted!

Links of social media sites where you can watch and interact with us live. Invite everyone you can.

#Let's Save 7-OH 💪🇺🇸