KANSAS TO BAN POPULAR HERBAL PRODUCT—PUTTING IT IN SAME CLASS AS HEROIN
Kansas lawmakers have taken final action on legislation that places kratom under the state’s most restrictive drug category, effectively banning the popular herbal product and putting it in the same class as heroin.
“It’s 13 times greater potency than morphine, and though we have seen the deaths and addictions to fentanyl go down, we have seen the use of this drug rise,” said Republican Senator Beverly Gossage of Wichita, who supports the measure.
Kansas senators debated Senate Bill 497 on March 5 during the 2026 legislative session, with a final vote the same day. The bill would add kratom to Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, triggering a statewide crackdown on products derived from the plant.
The Kansas Senate voted 33-5 to criminalize kratom, sending the measure to the House of Representatives.
What the Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 497 would classify kratom alongside substances such as heroin, making its possession and sale illegal in Kansas. While the legislation broadly targets kratom, lawmakers backing the bill say the primary concern is a potent compound derived from the kratom leaf known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH.
The FDA emphasizes that 7‑OH is a potent, unapproved opioid-like compound not permitted in dietary supplements or conventional foods. Officials also called for federal scheduling of the substance due to its risks, distinguishing it from the natural kratom plant.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment warned about these products in September last year, calling them “extremely harmful.”
According to state officials, products containing kratom or its derivatives are commonly sold at gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores across Kansas.
Supporters of the bill argue that banning kratom outright is necessary to avoid enforcement gaps. Law enforcement sources have said that a complete ban would prevent loopholes that could allow stronger kratom-derived products to remain on the market.
The proposal has sparked sharp debate within the Kansas Senate, with critics warning that a blanket ban could criminalize people who use kratom as part of recovery from opioid addiction.
Still, the Kansas Senate voted overwhelmingly to make kratom illegal, advancing a bill that would classify its key compounds as controlled substances and send the measure to the House.
The legislation would also broaden how fentanyl-related drugs are defined under state law to cover more variants.
It now heads to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers will decide whether to advance the measure further.
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2026-03-06T16:23:54Z
