Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, has stirred controversy by advocating for ketamine as a potential therapy for chronic pain through her social media.
Breitbart reported that Emhoff has publicly shared her health journey, revealing a lifetime battle with a spinal condition that left her in chronic pain. Using her platform on Instagram, where she is followed by 345,000 people, Emhoff discussed her challenges with a tethered spine leading to kyphosis, a condition where the spine does not lengthen properly during growth and results in a hunchback.
"I was born with a tethered spine (iykyk) which caused my back to not properly lengthen when I was growing and caused a kyphosis (hunchback)," Emhoff wrote in one of her posts.
She underwent lower back surgery in her adolescence which not only corrected her height but left her with ongoing chronic pain.
Post-surgery, Emhoff’s ordeal with medical treatments continued. "Was in and out of doctors and PT for most of my adolescence. Got lower back surgery, grew a million inches, and now deal with chronic pain," Emhoff continued in her Instagram narrative.
Her posts have sparked discussions and debates about chronic pain management among her followers.
In recent posts, Emhoff has promoted the use of ketamine, detailing her thoughts and experiences in a Google document linked within her post.
She has positioned this controversial drug as a potential solution to chronic pain, different from its notorious recognition as a party drug.
The use of ketamine, initially an anesthetic and horse tranquilizer, has expanded beyond its original purposes. According to a recent report by the Associated Press in 2023, ketamine is not only used for pain management but also increasingly consumed recreationally.
The proposition of ketamine as a therapy comes amidst increasing concerns about its use.
Sal Ingrassia, the Customs and Border Protection port director at JFK Airport expressed worries over the importation and misuse of ketamine. "The uptick has been surprising, the amount of ketamine coming in. We know it’s being used as a party drug," he said in a report covered by Breitbart News.
"Ketamine was originally — the original purpose was a horse tranquilizer. That’s what ketamine was used for, and now they’ve found ways to use that as a drug. It’s concerning when you see a large amount like that and it’s concerning that it’s being used in a cocktail-type format with other drugs like fentanyl," Ingrassia added.
Emhoff’s actions extend beyond her health advocacy. She has also drawn public attention with her political activities, notably raising funds for Gaza following a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in November 2023.
This has showcased her involvement in international issues, amplifying her profile as a politically active figure in the public eye.
With her unique position as the Vice President's stepdaughter coupled with her leftist activism, Emhoff's endorsements and statements carry significant weight, perhaps influencing public and political discourse on a range of issues, including healthcare and international relations.
As Emhoff continues to leverage her significant online presence, her advocacy for ketamine brings to light a complex tapestry of personal pain management experiences intertwined with broader, more controversial medical and recreational uses of the drug.