Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has signed HB1077, regulating kratom, into law! This is a huge step forward for public health and public safety because it requires, in part, that:
- Kratom is sold from behind the counter
- A person must be over the age of 21 to buy it
- Products must have complete ingredient labels
- Products must include the name, address, and phone number of the manufacturer
Because kratom is regulated in Mississippi, it improves public health. Only age restrictions, potency/purity guidelines, labeling, and accountability can deliver this.
Because kratom is not banned in Mississippi, it improves public safety. Banning kratom would have pushed it into an unregulated underground market where crime is incentivized and any products are sold to any age person, with no regulations whatsoever.
The last thing we need is yet another drug market in the hands of gangs, cartels, and terrorist organizations.
Many people poured their time and effort into this win, but we want to give a huge thank you to Mississippi State Representative Lee Yancey, who authored and championed the bill in the House, and Mississippi Senator Angela Turner-Ford, who championed it in the Senate.
Representative Yancey & Kratom Advocates
Senator Turner-Ford & Kratom Advocates
Regulation, not more prohibition, is the path forward to protect kids, adults, and the general public. Mississippi has shown that this is possible in one of the most conservative, religious states in the country.
Today Sherry, Lisha, Bethany, Tracy, and many others are safe from arrest and will be able to legally access a botanical that improves their health.
There’s still work to do. In cities and counties across Mississippi, local bans are still in effect, even with the statewide regulation. That means that Sherry can buy and use kratom legally in her home, but if she travels through a city or county where it has been banned locally, she can be arrested and face months in jail.
Public health and safety won for the majority of Mississippians this year because YOU made it happen with your gifts.
There’s still work to do to protect everyone who simply possesses kratom (without committing other crimes) from arrest in Mississippi and across the country.