In previous years, a bill that would regulate kratom has been held up in the Missouri Senate and vetoed by the governor. Now, state Representative Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, has started from scratch and hopes to get his bill passed in these final four weeks of session.
Kratom is an herbal supplement that is consumed in pill form. It has a mild stimulant effect as well as provides mild pain relief for chronic aches and pains. It is also used to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
“We want people to know what they’re buying,” he told Missourinet. “We want things that are sold in the marketplace that say they’re kratom to actually be 100% pure kratom, and we want to make sure that that only adults are using this. So, my bill is very simple. It’s only a couple pages long. It puts that framework in place.”
Citing Missouri’s lack of consumer protections in place, Christofanelli said consumers don’t know how the active ingredient works.
“They don’t know whether it’s been adulterated in any way, and there’s nothing that would prevent the convenience stores from selling kratom to minors and we really want to provide a basic regulatory framework to make sure that the people consuming kratom are doing so in a way that is safe and appropriate,” he explained.
Despite passing the Missouri Legislature last year, his bill was vetoed by fellow Republican, Gov. Mike Parson. In a veto message, the governor said since kratom is not a legally marketed food, drug or dietary supplement, defining kratom as a food product or dietary ingredient would violate federal law.
A public hearing was held on the bill in mid-March, but no vote has taken place since.
Click here for more information on House Bill 912.
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