In recent times, the American Kratom Association has been putting all its efforts to introduce the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) to state officials and legislators all around the US. The KCPA is a legislation that seeks, not only to keep access to kratom for the general public but also to ensure that all kratom that is available in the market is safe to use.
The American Kratom Association has already been successful in a handful of states and continues to work with many more to have this legislation passed all over America. So, keep reading below to find out if the KCPA has been passed in your state.
What Is the American Kratom Association?
If you have been a kratom user for a while, you most definitely know what the American Kratom Association (AKA) is and have come across their initiatives to keep kratom legal. But if you are new to the herb, you probably want to know more about this group.
The American Kratom Association was formed by kratom users and advocates back in 2014. Since then, this non-profit organization has been committed to educating people on kratom.
Through the years, the AKA has developed programs and initiatives to achieve its main goal: maintain the consumers’ rights to have access to kratom. Some of these initiatives include:
- AKA GMP Program. Although kratom remains legal in most states, it’s not yet considered a food or supplement. For this reason, vendors don’t have the obligation to follow any procedures or regulations to ensure the quality of their products. That’s why the American Kratom Association has come up with the AKA Good Manufacturing Practices. This is a set of rules and standards that vendors must follow to ensure the safety of their products.
- Attend public hearings about kratom. The AKA not only informs the public about public hearings about kratom that may happen in their area but also send their representatives to speak in them to educate legislators on the plant.
- Kratom Consumer Protection Act. The AKA has drafted this regulation to maintain access to kratom and to ensure its safety.
Additionally, AKA representatives have traveled to Indonesia after finding out their intention to ban kratom. This is still an ongoing situation and is still not clear how things will develop in regard to kratom exports from this country.
What Is the Kratom Consumer Protection Act?
Now that you know what the American Kratom Association do, let’s dig deeper into the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. What is the KCPA exactly?
As we said, the KCPA is a set of rules and regulations that have been developed not only to maintain people’s access to kratom but to ensure that the product that is available in the market is safe. The goal of the KCPA is to protect consumers from adulterated products and to implement a set of standards that vendors must follow to be able to put their product in the market.
Some of the topics that the KCPA propose include:
- levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine (one of kratom’s main active alkaloids) must not exceed 2%
- kratom products must not be sold minors
- all products must be properly labeled to show content
- kratom products must not contain any adulterating substances
The above topics are only an outline of what the KCPA should contain, but every state can adapt it to their own legislation and standards.
Why Is It Important to Pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act?
So, why is it important to pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act? The answer to this question may seem obvious: to keep kratom legal. But there is more to it. So, let’s see the main reasons why this legislation is crucial to kratom:
- keep kratom legal and maintain access of consumers to it
- ensure that all kratom products follow quality and safety standards
- having a regulation in place to ensure that adulterated or unsafe kratom is not available in the market
- maintain researchers’ and scientists’ access to kratom.
Now that we know about the legislation, let’s find out if it has been passed where you live.
KCPA: Where Has It Been Passed?
As of today, the AKA’s efforts to pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act has been successful in the following states:
Utah. On March 26, 2019, the Utah Governor signed SB 58, the KCPA into law, making it the first state to ever pass this legislation. This was a big success since Utah had various attempts to ban the plant in the past.
Georgia. On March 28, 2019, the State Senate approved HB 551, the KCPA on a vote of 50-0. Kratom is now legal in the state. As a result, kratom products must include proper labeling that includes alkaloid content, ingredients, and disclaimers.
Arizona. HB 2550, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act was approved in Arizona in April 2019. So, now, kratom can be sold to individuals over 18 and the state regulates its sales, production, labeling, and distribution.
Nevada. On May 24, 2109, the Nevada State Senate unanimously approved AB303, the KCPA and it was enacted on June 6. As a result, kratom can be purchased in the state by individuals over the age of 18. On the other hand, the sales, possession, manufacture or distribution of adulterated or contaminated kratom products are punishable by law.
States Where the KCPA Has Been Introduced or It’s Pending
But the AKA’s effort to pass the KPCA hasn’t ended yet. So, let’s see below a list of states where the legislation has been introduced or where it’s pending:
Oregon: Act filing pending
Idaho: filing pending
Kansas: filing pending
Wisconsin: filing pending
Illinois: filing pending
Indiana: filing pending (kratom currently illegal)
Ohio: introduced
Pennsylvania: filing pending
New York: filing pending
New Jersey: filing pending
Rhode Island: filing pending (kratom is currently illegal)
Kansas: filing pending
Arkansas: filing pending (kratom currently illegal)
Louisiana: filing pending
Tennessee: filing pending
Mississippi: filing pending
North Carolina: filing pending
South Carolina: filing pending
Alabama: filing pending (currently illegal)
Florida: filing pending
