Mississippi House passes bill restricting kratom sales, banning synthetic versions, and enforcing age limits.
The Mississippi House of Representatives recently voted to restrict kratom sales to those 21 and older while also banning synthetic versions of the substance. Lawmakers across the state have debated kratom for years, with some arguing it poses serious health risks, while others say it helps people manage pain and addiction.
Kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia, is sold in gas stations, vape shops, and convenience stores across Mississippi. Many people use it for energy, pain relief, or to ease withdrawal symptoms from opioids. However, concerns over its safety have grown, especially regarding synthetic kratom products that contain concentrated doses of certain chemicals found in the plant. The state has chosen to restrict these extracts, which can be much stronger than raw kratom leaves, under the new bill.
Representative Lee Yancey, who sponsored the bill, said regulation is long overdue. “There are no rules in place right now,” he said. “This puts up some guardrails to protect both the people who use kratom and those around them.”
Under the new rules, stores will need to keep kratom behind the counter and check IDs before selling it. Selling to anyone under 21 would result in fines, and those underage who try to buy it could also face penalties. The bill also specifically outlaws synthetic kratom extracts, which have been linked to stronger, more unpredictable effects.
The House approved the bill unanimously, with all 115 members voting in favor. It now moves to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain. A separate House bill proposes the same age restriction but would also add a 5% tax on kratom sales.
Some counties and cities in Mississippi have already taken matters into their own hands by banning kratom at the local level. Currently, over 30 municipalities have restrictions in place. Meanwhile, another set of bills in the Legislature this year seeks to take even stronger action by classifying kratom as a controlled substance, meaning possession without a prescription could lead to criminal charges.
The debate over kratom has divided lawmakers, health officials, and residents. Some see it as a dangerous substance that should be banned outright, while others believe responsible regulation is the better approach. Dr. Jennifer Bryan, president of the Mississippi Medical Association, urged lawmakers to classify it as a controlled substance, warning that kratom addiction is becoming a growing problem. “This is the next phase of the opioid crisis,” she said.
State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney supports the idea of making kratom a controlled substance but with relatively mild penalties. He pointed to last year’s successful move to classify tianeptine, another gas station drug, as a Schedule III substance. “Since the ban, we’ve hardly seen any new cases,” he told lawmakers.
On the other side of the debate, some argue that attempting to restrict kratom altogether would do more harm than good. Christina Dent, a policy advocate focused on drug-related issues, said criminalizing kratom could push it into the black market, creating a more dangerous situation. “People using kratom to manage pain or get off opioids will be forced to find it illegally, and that’s when things get riskier,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Mississippi lawmakers have tried to regulate or ban kratom. In previous years, efforts to outlaw the substance either failed in the Senate or never made it to a final vote. Yancey, who has previously supported banning kratom altogether, admitted that compromise might be necessary this time. “I’d rather get part of what I want than nothing at all,” he said.
With the bill now heading to the Senate, its future remains uncertain. Supporters hope it will at least set some restrictions in place, while opponents argue that the law should go further. Either way, kratom remains a hot topic in Mississippi, and this latest effort is unlikely to be the last time lawmakers take it up for debate.
Sources:
House unanimously passes bill to make kratom 21+
House Drug Policy Committee takes action to restrict kratom in Mississippi
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