Controversial Decision in Florida Leads to Kratom Likely Being Regulated to Improve Consumer Safety

Florida legislature unanimously passes through the first committee in the process for regulation including testing to weed out the bad actors in the kratom industry

In a twist that may have a snowball effect, Florida is pushing to regulate kratom. Kratom experts cite the drug as not dangerous and issues occur only when laced with dangerous chemicals from bad actors. To help combat the problem Florida is considering regulating and testing products to remove the potential downside and will likely help take kratom mainstream. There is a likelihood other states could quickly follow suit.

Kratom, also known by its legal name as Mitragyna Speciosa, has long faced legal hurdles in the United States. At one point the FDA classified it as a controlled substance, only to remove the classification shortly thereafter, and it has bounced back and forth since then. Individual states have been fighiting the battle with a wide range of outcomes.

Part of the issue when it comes to determining a consistent stance on legalization is due to a lack of consistent data around this plant from southeast Asia. Despite millions of regular users, many of whom describe it as a miracle plant, it has not yet become mainstream in the United States. However, that may soon change if Florida moves forward with the regulation of kratom.

This decision is coming on the heels of multiple other legal battles recently fought and is likely to remove the legal hurdles preventing widespread adoption. Recently it was brought before the World Health Organization, and the WHO refused to ban kratom citing a lack of evidence necessitating regulation.

Now, as the legal hurdles are folding one by one and new unbiased data shows this plant to be very helpful for multiple remedies, it is quickly falling to the state level to determine legality.

One state that has been fighting this battle for some time is Utah. In 2019 the state legislature passed bill sb58 to regulate kratom. Eventually what came to pass was the testing and regulation of the plant, thereby putting controls in place and safety measures – while preventing unscrupulous actors from risking lives to make a quick buck.

The American Kratom Association was formed to help improve regulation of kratom so it is better for everyone. They aim to help improve the legalization of kratom while helping identify responsible ways to regulate the quality and production to make it safer, more standardized, and transparent for consumers.

More likely than not, this will be the path many states take to move forward with this unique plant. Particularly as larger companies begin adopting this plant and more studies are developed around the safety and side effects of use.

While the legalization of kratom could well be on the way to becoming fast-tracked, it is still too early to say what the future holds. But it does appear the roadblocks continue to be removed.