Governor signs into Virginia law consumer legislation to protect kratom

Virginia is the ninth state in the United States to enact legislation on the sale of Kratom.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed SB 1108, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) into law yesterday after it passed Virginia’s House and Senate.

Kratom primarily comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree in Indonesia, Thailand and other parts of Asia and is usually consumed by boiling the leaves to make tea or grinding them up to put in food. An herbal supplement, Kratom has for centuries helped with pain management, energy, depression and anxiety. The KCPA regulates the manufacture and distribution of kratom, ensures and enforces proper labeling and instills age limits on its use.

Several states have recognized kratom benefits and are working to advance the KCPA in state houses around the U.S., shifting the momentum on Capitol Hill for a federal Kratom Consumer Protection Act. Legislation is expected to be filed in the coming months.

“The science doesn’t lie, and Virginia’s state leadership agrees” Mac Haddow, the AKA’s Senior Fellow for Public Policy, said. “Passing of the KCPA in Virginia is representative of state lawmakers embracing science, public health and data. Their adoption of forward-thinking measures like the KCPA ensure Kratom consumers can access safe, registered and tested products.”