Ephedra still banned in the US..
However the active ingredient (ephedrine is still legal to purchase without a script).
Oh I am well aware of how the government can mess with legitimate companies.
A friend of mine who just recently passed away, and was a co-founder in one of the companies of which I have interests was the master distributor for a company that was raped and pillaged by the government, in my opinion at the behest of well connected pharmaceutical companies. They made money hand over fist, doing
BILLIONS of dollars in sales, and the government came along and took it all away.
Their story is well documented in
'The Metabolife Story - The Rape of Cinderella'
The Metabolife Story - The Rape of CinderellaEditorial ReviewThis book tells the story of a man who I have come to know very closely over the past twenty years. I first met Mr. Ellis when I arrested him for violation of federal drug laws in 1989. He received five years probation in that case, which I was responsible for investigating as an FBI agent. Over the years I have remained in contact with Mike and he has become my friend. I have no business relationship with him and never have, but as a friend, I have come to know him as a great family man, a philanthropic businessman, and dedicated to his principles. His best qualities are his honesty and integrity. He is a man of his word, and I believe this book tells his story in a way that reflects those principles. -- Jim H. Weaver, former special agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Metabolife Story - The Rape of Cinderella represents author Michael Ellis detailed account of the rise and fall of Metabolife, one of the most successful, yet ultimately unfairly characterized dietary supplement companies in history. The Metabolife story is an unfathomable example of the American dream catapulted into nightmare by the government organizations whose purpose should have been to protect and cultivate the very ideals that dream was born from. Instead they conspired to systematically destroy it. Metabolife s story is a real-life account of both personal and professional triumph, systematically stolen away and replaced with numerous questions - about the motivations and actions of government agencies, the future of legally limiting medicinal and nutritional options in America, and the consumer public s right to freedom of choice when it comes to their own health. This is the story of a man whose devotion to family and friends occasionally impaired his judgment, but never his desire to protect and support them. And while he and his business partners found more success than they ever dreamed possible, they unfortunately discovered how success of this magnitude can often come at a steep price. This memoir traces Metabolife from its early days, centering on the struggles and successes in the face of tremendous opposition. It details the atmospheric rise of the wildly popular weight loss product known as Metabolife 356 which, ironically, was discovered by accident as a desirable affect to an all-natural, homeopathic attempt by its founder Michael Ellis, to offer his cancer-stricken father a more comfortable and cognizant quality of life. The tremendous business savvy behind this company s early success is also detailed in the book, highlighting their revolutionary approach to radio advertising and direct marketing. All the while chronicling the remarkable results experienced by its millions of consumers. The Metabolife story also provides observation on the truth and fiction behind the efficacy of both eastern and western medicinal practices. Last, it looks at the lengths government agencies will go to keep the American public from the truth. Ellis recounts the degradation of his professional and personal life as a result of intense media and governmental scrutiny. And he dares to ask the question of why even with significant scientific evidence proving the safety of his product he could see his company defamed by what amounts to little more than misinformation and a suspected desire to protect the business interests of the pharmaceutical industry. Metabolife s active ingredient, ephedrine, has been banned from the market or, at least in its natural herbal state, if produced and marketed by an herbal supplement company. Today, it remains possible for any consumer to purchase products containing this supposedly dangerous supplement known as ephedrine, but only as offered in products produced by pharmaceutical companies. The amount of ephedrine, and the utilization of another active ingredient, caffeine, in these FDA approved pharmaceutical products, far exceed the levels the FDA deemed as unsafe in Metabolife. In essence, The Metabolife Story is a perfect example of how lobbyists for powerful business sectors (e.g., the pharmaceutical industry) appear to have a stronger influence over government regulations than the best interests of the people these government agencies are assigned to protect. This book is written to give the American public, not only the opportunity to read all of the facts and decide the veracity of the public accounts themselves, but more importantly to stand up to the institutions created to protect their interests that are in fact prohibiting their constitutional rights.
