How many kratom users are there in the US? That depends on who you ask. If you ask researchers from New York University they’ll tell you the number is around two million. They base this on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health which they conduct every year to try and get an idea about trends in drug use and abuse. On the other hand, if you ask the American Kratom Association, an advocacy group for kratom importers, their number is much higher: 16 million. At the 710 Pipes headshop in Denver, we don’t have a way to determine which of these wildly disparate numbers is correct. But we suspect that, as with most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
The legal status of kratom likely influences how people respond to questions about whether they use the substance or not and that legal status, like use numbers, is uneven. To clarify things a bit for our customers, we’ve decided to put together this brief guide indicating kratom’s legal status throughout the 50 states and beyond. Kratom laws are dynamic, all information is subject to change.
States Where Kratom Use is Legal for Adults
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California – except San Diego
- Colorado – KCPA Passed
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida – except Sarasota County
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois – except the city of Jerseyville
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi – except Union County
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire – except for Franklin
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
There are movements in several of these states including Louisiana, Michigan, and Texas to criminalize the use of kratom. But as of this writing the above information is accurate.
Also, it might seem strange that kratom use is illegal in Denver and yet we sell kratom through both our brick-and-mortar shops here and through our online head shop. But that’s because while kratom use is illegal in the Colorado capital the sale of kratom is not.
States Where Kratom is Currently Illegal to Buy, Possess, Use or Sell
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Indiana
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
Are There Any Countries Where Kratom Is Banned?
If you are of a mind to take along your kratom when you travel overseas be aware that the following countries have made possession, sale, and use of kratom illegal.
- Australia
- Denmark
- Finland
- Israel
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Why The Resistance to Kratom?
Kratom has recently gained widespread attention and become widely available in many countries of the world, but the fact is there have not been any serious large-scale or long-term studies on its potential short or long-term side effects. All that’s known about it for certain is that in the body it acts like an opioid, and that word makes a lot of people in government nervous.
In the US the FDA placed kratom on its list of “Drugs of Concern”, which cannot be considered a positive thing for kratom lovers. And based on the skimpy evidence currently available the FDA took the somewhat unusual step of stating that, as far as they’re concerned, kratom has no therapeutic benefits. We believe they will be proven wrong in time.
The Bottom Line
Millions of people worldwide are convinced kratom helps them deal effectively with pain while providing secondary benefits like enhanced energy levels and better overall mood. While we sell high-quality kratom products through our online smoke shop alongside heady glass and other items, we always recommend that potential users speak to their healthcare provider before they start taking it.
