Kratom

The Oasis Kava Bar in Tallahassee, Florida.

Health

Kratom: Advocates tout its properties, but legislators want strict warnings about the herbal supplement

Florida lawmakers are considering legislation to tighten regulations on the production and sale of kratom, an increasingly controversial herbal supplement made from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree. SB 994, sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters, and HB 1205, sponsored by Rep. Dean Black, would expand the 2023 Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which they say would help shield consumers from a dangerously unregulated and wildly volatile drug.

Kratom products are legal in most states and are widely available. But the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration worry that kratom carries the risk of physical and psychological dependency and, in some people, addiction.

Health

Florida lawmakers want to set the age limit for kratom use at 21

Valerie Crowder

Florida lawmakers are moving forward with a bipartisan plan to regulate the use of kratom, an herbal supplement that causes opioid- and stimulant-like effects.

Kratom Users Dodge A Legislative Bullet In FL

Jim Ash

Kratom users are celebrating after the Florida Legislature failed to begin a crackdown on the controversial Southeast Asian plant. But the fight isn’t...