Kansas classifies kratom as Schedule I drug under new legislation
Gov. Laura Kelly signs measure effectively banning the popular herbal supplement alongside IT and liquor tax updates
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kratom products will soon vanish from Kansas shelves after Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation Monday effectively banning the unregulated herbal supplement.
Kelly, a Democrat, signed Senate Bill 430, which cleared the state Senate in a unanimous 38-0 vote. The measure classifies mitragynine — the primary psychoactive compound in kratom — as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Kansas Uniform Controlled Substances Act. The reclassification places the Southeast Asian plant extract on the state's strictest legal tier, alongside heroin and LSD, effectively outlawing its sale and possession statewide.
Previously widely available at Kansas gas stations, smoke shops and online retailers, kratom is often used as a stimulant, a pain reliever or an aid for opioid withdrawal. Growing concerns from state and federal regulators over dependency risks, product contamination and mislabeled potency prompted lawmakers to pursue the ban.
The kratom scheduling, paired with a routine cleanup of competing amendments governing theft and expungement, was one of four operational measures Kelly authorized. The governor also signed House Substitute for Senate Bill 51 to modernize the state's executive branch information technology framework, updating rules for telecommunications, cloud computing and IT audit reporting.
Kelly also approved Senate Bill 300, which adjusts corporate income tax requirements for local brewers and distillers, and House Bill 2029, a technical cleanup measure. The signings came alongside other action Monday, including Kelly's approval of a tax-credit package in Senate Bill 82 and five vetoes on unrelated tax and local-control measures.
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