The state’s recent legislative changes aim to make kratom safe for users and enforce industry standards with vendors in the state. Regulatory guardrails can help Missourians to enjoy high-quality, pure, and safe kratom products.
Let MIT45 act as your expert guide as we take a look at kratom’s legality in Missouri in 2024.
Current Status of Missouri Kratom Laws
Throughout the past decade, debates over potential kratom bans or regulations have consistently been a part of most legislative sessions. For example, the first attempt at enacting a Missouri Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), HB1115, passed the state’s House of Representatives in 2019, but later died in committee.
Shortly after this version of the KCPA died, the MIssouri Senate debated a bill, SB765, that would have banned kratom in the Show Me state. This bill never made it passed committee, and legislatures collectively embraced safety regulations as an alternative to an outright kratom ban.
Current Regulatory Status of Kratom in Missouri
In 2022, MIssouri finally passed a finalized version of the KCPA. However, later that year, the state’s governor, Michael Parson, vetoed the bill , which had made it through both chambers of Congress with relative ease.
Parson’s issue with the 2022 version of the proposed KCPA was that it defined kratom as “food,” which is in direct violation of federal law. Nevertheless, kratom proponents are still fighting for safety regulations that would raise kratom industry standards in MIssouri.
Legislatures advocating for safe kratom use wouldn’t give up, though. In 2023, Rep. Phil Christofanelli quickly amended the last version of the KCPA to include the correct language, and co-introduced the bill in 2023. The current proposed KCPA, HB912, passed the House in April of that year, and once again, died in committee in May 2023.
Regardless of the legal red tape, all of these proposals point toward a distinct possibility that Missouri’s kratom laws could soon change. Hopefully, the changes will ensure raised quality, purity, and safety standards for kratom enthusiasts across the state.
Local areas in MIssouri with kratom regulations
Although kratom remains unregulated on the state level, St.Charles County, MIssouri (the state’s third most populous county) passed a kratom regulatory ordinance, 237, in 2019.
In St. Charles County, kratom enthusiasts should be aware of the following regulations:
- Kratom vendors must submit all product labels for review
- You must be 18 years of age to purchase kratom products
- Kratom products cannot be adulterated or concentrated
- Products must contain transparent labeling
- Customers must be informed of ingredients
