The Fight for Botanicals

Illinois is emerging as a key battleground in the national fight over how to handle kratom, an herbal product derived from a Southeast Asian tree and sold in everything from powders to gummies. Advocates say it can ease pain and help people taper off opioids, but federal regulators warn of risks, especially when kratom is mixed with other substances.

One bill would classify kratom’s active compounds as Schedule III controlled substances, while another would keep it legal but raise the purchase age to 21, require lab testing and clearer labeling, and add a 5 percent tax on sales.

Read the original report at FOX 32 Chicago.

A South Carolina bill that would effectively ban kratom statewide is unlikely to advance this year after senators signaled they need more data on the substance’s risks and benefits. The proposal, which already passed the House, would classify kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance. With the legislative session ending Thursday, senators say they will study the issue during the off-season, leaving current kratom regulations in place for now. The original report appeared on WIS News.

Minnesota has raised the legal age to possess kratom from 18 to 21, following a bill signed by Governor Tim Walz that takes effect August 1, 2026. The law covers any amount of kratom or products containing the alkaloids mitragynine or 7-hydroxymitragynine, and violations are classified as gross misdemeanors. Kratom, an herbal extract from the Southeast Asian tree Mitragyna speciosa, can act as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at higher doses, according to the Mayo Clinic. Consumer advocacy group 7-HOPE Alliance welcomed the move and continues to push for a nationwide 21-plus standard, arguing for safeguards rather than prohibition. You can read the original report from Fox 21 Online here.

State lawmakers in Pennsylvania are moving to bring structure to the fast‑expanding kratom market, targeting how the plant‑based product is sold and labeled in local shops. The proposals would set age restrictions, tighten controls on synthetic or heavily concentrated versions, and require straightforward information on packaging so buyers understand what they are taking.

Backers of the effort emphasize that they are not seeking an outright ban, but a framework that treats kratom more like other regulated products on store shelves. They argue that clear rules could help responsible consumers continue using kratom for energy and mood support while curbing questionable products and marketing practices. For more background, see the original AOL report, “Pennsylvania lawmakers propose regulating kratom,” here.

The American Kratom Association (AKA) has issued a nationwide consumer alert over products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), warning they are being misleadingly marketed as “kratom” despite posing significantly higher safety risks. According to the group, these chemically engineered compounds differ sharply from natural kratom leaf, which contains only trace levels of 7-OH.

The alert highlights concerns over high-potency formulations, including dissolvable tablets and strips designed for rapid absorption. Federal health authorities have previously drawn a clear distinction between natural kratom and synthetic derivatives.

The AKA also warned that misleading labeling and unverified health claims could confuse consumers and policymakers. It is urging regulators to take targeted action against these products while preserving access to natural kratom.

Read the full release.

Kansas City, Missouri, is introducing stricter oversight for shops that sell kratom, requiring them to secure a dedicated Kratom Retail License before stocking the product. The newly approved ordinance sets the license fee at 500 dollars and makes unlicensed kratom sales illegal, with city regulators tasked with enforcement.

Mayor Quinton Lucas framed the change as a public health measure, citing the need for transparency. Kratom is derived from a Southeast Asian tree and often promoted for pain relief or easing opioid withdrawal. City health and regulatory agencies say they will keep analyzing data and coordinating with partners as they assess the impact of the policy.

In a new testimonial video, a Las Vegas veteran describes how a natural leaf, kratom, helped her reclaim her health and rebuild a life of service. She recalls moving to North Las Vegas in 2015, where she and her husband met Kelly, the provider behind the kratom they had relied on for years, and learned it was a simple plant used for millennia. After using it for fibroid pain, she says the relief restored her ability to be active and deepened her relationship with her husband. That renewed strength, she explains, allowed the couple to grow their veteran nonprofit “Forgotten Not Gone,” which fights suicide by maintaining a fleet of recumbent trikes for peer-support rides. “Kratom saves lives,” she says in the video, crediting it with saving both hers and her husband’s as they now work to “stomp out veteran suicide.” Watch the full story at Protect Kratom.

Michigan’s move to ban kratom could push a controversial but widely used substance into far more dangerous territory. House Bill 5537, passed without committee hearings or expert testimony, would outlaw the sale and distribution of kratom and its synthetic variants statewide. Critics argue that prohibition will not erase demand; instead, it is likely to drive consumers toward unregulated markets with no potency limits, age checks, or labeling standards, increasing the risk of overdoses and adulterated products. They point to past bans on synthetic cannabinoids and illicit opioids that fueled spikes in emergency room visits when more potent formulations filled the gap. Reform advocates say Nebraska’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which restricts sales to adults and licenses manufacturers, offers a safer regulatory blueprint than an outright ban. Read the original opinion in The Michigan Daily for a deeper look at the case against Michigan’s proposed ban.

Synthetic kratom products, known as 7-OH, will soon disappear from Utah convenience stores under a new law aimed at curbing overdose deaths linked to the supplement.

Under SB45, which takes effect May 6, only whole-leaf kratom will remain legal in Utah, and only for customers over 21 buying from smoke shops. Synthetic and enhanced versions, frequently sold in blister packs or pills, will be banned from retail shelves, and in 2027 it will become illegal to manufacture them in the state. Read the original report at KSL.

Idaho lawmakers have revised a proposed kratom regulation bill after hours of emotional testimony from families, police, medical professionals and industry representatives. The Idaho Kratom Consumer Protection and Safety Act, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, would limit sales to adults 21 and older, restrict products to natural leaf, and ban adulterated or synthetic kratom containing high levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Amendments approved Thursday add stricter labeling rules, including batch numbers, ingredient lists and prominent medical warnings that kratom may be habit-forming and has not been evaluated by the FDA, and push the effective date to Jan. 1, 2027. The debate runs alongside a separate House bill seeking an outright ban, leaving Idaho’s kratom policy hinging on upcoming Senate and House votes.

Read the original report from the Lewiston Tribune.

Kratom will become legal to sell in Rhode Island on April 1 under the Rhode Island Kratom Act, which restricts sales to adults 21 and older and already requires products to be kept behind the counter, accessible only to store employees. Now, a new bill, H7518, would go further by mandating that all kratom products be stored in locked cases until the point of sale. Supporters frame the move as a security measure aimed at preventing theft and youth access, noting that Rhode Island recorded 10 overdose deaths involving kratom between 2020 and 2024. The proposal comes as other states tighten rules, with Louisiana banning kratom and Connecticut designating it a Schedule 1 controlled substance, underscoring a growing national divide over the herb’s place in retail. For more, see the original USA Today coverage of the debate over kratom security in Rhode Island.

Speaker Matt Hall plans to replace a bipartisan regulatory bill with a sweeping ban on kratom. In a statement, the AKA said the procedural maneuver sidestepped standard committee review and curtailed public testimony from Michigan consumers.​

The original Kratom Consumer Protection Act would have imposed safeguards such as age limits, product purity standards, and clear alkaloid labeling, but was instead converted into a full prohibition. AKA policy fellow Mac Haddow warned that an outright ban could push consumers toward unregulated markets and fails to distinguish natural kratom from synthetic compounds linked to greater health risks. The group cited National Institute on Drug Abuse findings to argue for a regulated market and urged lawmakers to restore a science-based framework.​

Read the full release at Reuters.

Tennessee mother of five Jessica Cosby is urging state lawmakers to reconsider proposed crackdowns on kratom, saying the measures would devastate chronic pain patients while fentanyl continues to drive overdose deaths statewide. Two bills, SB2417 and SB1655, would sharply restrict or criminalize possession and sale of kratom products, with SB1655 elevating simple possession to a felony offense. Cosby, who lives with multiple debilitating pain conditions, says it’s is the only option that lets her stay active with her children and off more dangerous drugs. She argues lawmakers have not presented clear data showing kratom is causing a public health crisis and calls instead for regulated, evidence-based policy. Read the original column in the Clarion Ledger.

Virginia lawmakers are moving forward with House Bill 360, a measure that would sharply restrict kratom products containing the compound 7‑hydroxymitragynine, despite pushback from harm-reduction advocates. Supporters of kratom say the bill, framed as consumer protection, would effectively ban many products that adults currently use to manage pain and opioid withdrawal symptoms, driving demand to an unregulated black market.​

Citing federal data, critics note that more than 1 billion servings of 7‑OH have been consumed in the U.S. with only 82 reported adverse events, and no clear evidence of a unique overdose crisis tied to the compound. They argue Virginia should tighten age limits, labeling and testing standards instead, and urge Gov. Abigail Spanberger to veto HB360 in favor of measured regulation over prohibition.

See The Virginian-Pilot for more.