Missouri House approves bill to regulate kratom products

[IdiopathicPain247]

Kratom industry leaders criticized a provision that potentially allows for highly-potent synthetic products to stay on store shelves

The Missouri House on Wednesday advanced a bill that would enact new regulations on kratom products, which the National Institute on Drug Abuse defines as “an herbal substance that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects.”

Kratom products are currently legal both federally and in Missouri, and the legislation that received initial approval Wednesday would put an age restriction on who can buy the products at 21, along with limitations on ingredients.

The bill needs a final vote in the House before going to the Senate.

“It’s usually used to get people off opioid addictions,” state Rep. Tricia Byrnes, a Republican from Wentzville, said during Wednesday’s debate, “and it’s a pain reliever, instead of getting people hooked to opioids.”

The American Kratom Association, which provided the language for the original legislation, opposes a change made before Wednesday’s vote, said Mac Haddow, senior policy fellow with the association.

In the version approved in a committee earlier this month, he said, products containing a synthetic form of a substance called 7-hydroxymitragynine – which he called “very dangerous” and as addictive as herion – would continue to be sold in Missouri without any regulation.

The amended version of the bill instead takes aim at “any product marketed or sold as kratom” that contains more than 2% of the substance, also known as 7-OH.


CBD Kratom is among several companies selling kratom products that’s supportive of a House bill to regulate kratom in Missouri. (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).
That allows for these products to be sold under a different name, Haddow said, and doesn’t take them off store shelves as the bill intended.

“We oppose the addition of the language that would allow for 7-OH products to be sold in the state, not calling them kratom,” he said, though he still supports the bill. “But that’s at least a better compromise than 7-OH products being sold as kratom, which misleads consumers.”

While kratom leaves contain many chemical compounds that may influence the human body, the most-studied is mitragynine, according to the institute. When ingested, mitragynine breaks down into another chemical, 7-hydroxymitragynine. There are also very small amounts of 7-hydroxymitragynine occurring naturally in kratom.

Missouri-based American Shaman is the first company to bring 7-OH to market, said company owner Vince Sanders told The Independent in an interview Wednesday, and is a leader in these products nationwide.

Sanders argues his products, which come in pill form, are safe and “far superior” to kratom products on the market. Byrnes’ original bill would have banned a number of the products the company manufactures, he said, because they’re made with a higher percentage of 7-OH.

Sanders said his products start with the kratom leaf and then their production process replicates what happens naturally with the plant itself.

“We just do it outside the plant, so that we can do it at scale,” he said.

He supports the bill because it creates some separation between his products and regular kratom.

“People have been taking normal kratom for, you know, decades plus,” Sanders said. “We don’t want you to confuse this product with that product.”

People often take several hundred milligrams of kratom, he said, and his 7-OH products are much more potent. Sanders doesn’t believe the bill applies to his products, because they’re already not marketed as kratom.

“We want to make it real clear that this shouldn’t be marketed as kratom,” he said, “and then kratom rules should apply to kratom, not to this because they’re different.”

American Shaman originally opposed Byrnes’ legislation. After the group asked for the change and it was added, the company now supports the bill. Sanders said the bill was a “legislative attempt” brought forth by the kratom industry “to get rid of a superior product, which is a shame.”

Byrnes said she doesn’t believe the amendment exempts any products that originate from the kratom leaf.

“I don’t know how saying, ‘Oh, we’re just going to call it tomatoes,’ make it not kratom,” Byrnes told The Independent Wednesday. “I’m not picking winners or losers. I’m not trying to do anything except that if you’re selling kratom that’s from this plant, then it needs to have these requirements.”

Matthew Lowe, executive director of the Global Kratom Coalition, is opposed to 7-OH products because, like Haddow, he said they are highly addictive and can seriously injure people if they’re not aware of what they’re taking.

Also like Haddow, Lowe supports the bill because it prevents them from being marketed as kratom. And there are other dangerous chemicals the bill prevents from being added to kratom products, they both said.

“I find it strange that you’ve got individuals who’ve got a synthetic single alkaloid product that’s more potent than morphine… even having a seat at the table of a kratom regulatory bill,” Lowe said. “Because they’re not kratom. They’re not dietary ingredients. They’re unapproved drugs.”

[Kelleytoons]

Sigh - I can't believe I'm doing this (being an advocate for 7oh) but let me add my take:

7oh should be as available as kratom is for much the same reasons. NO ONE has died using it - now, is there a possibility that someone can get "hooked"? Yes, there sure is (and the same goes for much more dangerous stuff, like alcohol) but as long as the proper warnings are in place it's not going to be a problem. I sure hope I get enough advance warning if it ever gets banned where I buy it from (I'm not worried about it getting banned here in Florida).

[onespeedstop]

Money grab, tax it to death !! Woot !!! *sigh* Hopefully they only go after those gas station 'shots', and not the raw powder.

[anonk]

I got bad news if you live in Florida, HB 1489 is likely on it's way of advancing which bans all semi-synthetic products of 7-OH starting July 1, 2025. You won't even be able to have them shipped to you. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2 ... /Filed/PDF

[BallzDeep9]

We've got now, multiple states with various "BAN Kratom" Bills... popping up - Each State is different - But it seems a common thread is, GKC - Global Kratom Coalition - financed by a California billionaire pushing these BAN bills. ~ So this is much bigger than Missouri... AND it threatens AKC, too - it's about the "Big Kratom" companies, funding GKC and making demands on AKC ... right. Politics... Exactly what people DON'T want to discuss, but... unfortunately...

They are "Playing Politics" with our Kratom. I'm going to start a new thread, to TIE all these States together.

[Kelleytoons]

I got bad news if you live in Florida, HB 1489 is likely on it's way of advancing which bans all semi-synthetic products of 7-OH starting July 1, 2025. You won't even be able to have them shipped to you. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2 ... /Filed/PDF

Well, I'm actually glad to know. I'll just order enough to last the rest of my (short) life and that will be it (right now I have enough for about ten years, and, truly, I won't live too much longer than that anyway).

Thanks for the info.

[e_poison]

After a relative period of calm, it seems like things are heating up across the board. A senator in Texas is trying to add kratom to a banned substances bill too. There is strong opposition to it, so we'll have to see how it plays out. Lots of vendors in Texas. The senator sponsoring it couldn't even be bothered to stay the entire hearing FOR HIS OWN BILL so it will resume in a few days. Needs to be tossed out if if the guy sponsoring it can't put in the minimal effort required to sit through his own hearing.

[Kelleytoons]

This is VERY annoying. If I were even slightly younger I'd be really worried about having enough of kratom to last (as it is I'll die with many, many kilos left over).

I just put another order in for 7oh so when that arrives in a few days I am indeed set for life. But for anyone who isn't so ancient, I really feel for you.

[Jpjpjp]

This is VERY annoying. If I were even slightly younger I'd be really worried about having enough of kratom to last (as it is I'll die with many, many kilos left over).

I just put another order in for 7oh so when that arrives in a few days I am indeed set for life. But for anyone who isn't so ancient, I really feel for you.

What’s this bill

[e_poison]

What’s this bill

Texas and Florida are both trying to ban kratom.

https://www.protectkratom.org/texas
https://www.protectkratom.org/florida

I think the Missouri bill is SB774.