Ella Emhoff, an activist known to be a leftist and also the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris (D), appears to have promoted ketamine, a contentious drug, as a solution for individuals suffering from chronic pain. In several posts on Instagram, Emhoff mentioned her experience with a spinal condition during her younger years, suggesting that ketamine could be used to alleviate the pain associated with this condition, according to the New York Post report published on Saturday.
Emhoff, 25, shared details of her personal medical history with her 345,000 followers, discussing her tethered spine condition, which caused her back to not properly lengthen while growing and led to a hunchback (kyphosis. She went on to explain that she had been in and out of doctors and physical therapy for most of her adolescence. Emhoff underwent lower back surgery and experienced significant growth as a result, but now faces chronic pain. In a subsequent post, she shared a link to a Google document where she listed ketamine infusion as one of the potential pain therapies available to those suffering from chronic pain conditions.
John F. Kennedy International Airport’s port director for Customs and Border Protection, Sal Ingrassia, revealed in 2022 that there had been a surprising increase in the amount of ketamine coming into the country. Ingrassia explained that while ketamine was initially used as a horse tranquilizer, it is now being misused as a party drug and sometimes combined with other substances like fentanyl, which raises concerns about its potential dangers.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the surgical anesthetic ketamine has been utilized as an alternative to opioids for managing chronic pain in recent years. The drug was approved more than 50 years ago and is known for producing psychedelic, out-of-body experiences at lower doses, making it a popular club drug during the 1990s. Its adoption for pain management purposes has led to patients experiencing these same effects when using ketamine as an analgesic.
In November 2023, Breitbart News reported that Emhoff, who is also a model and fashion designer, was raising funds for Gaza following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.