Colorado lawmakers advance bill to crackdown on kratom

State of play: Gov. Jared Polis' administration first proposed a regulatory framework for kratom similar to marijuana's in 2023, but a bill to implement the plan stalled.

• Polis, a Democrat, is a proponent of kratom and pledged in his first campaign to "protect access" to the product.

The latest: The new legislation, which advanced through its first committee in early February, would require companies that process the plant, Mitragyna speciosa, to register with the state and follow labeling and product rules designed to limit potency.

• The state would charge new per-product fees — estimated near $200 — to pay for the registration program.

State Sen. Kyle Mullica, a Northglenn Democrat and bill sponsor, pointed to new research linking kratom to deaths and addiction.

• In 2023, kratom was detected in 41 drug overdoses in Colorado, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What he's saying: "It is too easy for consumers to take supercharged kratom products with devastating consequences," Mullica said at a recent legislative hearing.

The other side: The American Kratom Association and Colorado businesses that sell kratom argued the new fees would shutter businesses and restrict access to the products, which are typically sold at smoke shops.

• A handful of kratom users testified against the bill, saying it brought them pain relief after major injuries and helped them break addictions to pain pills.