West Virginia adopts kratom regulations

The Mountain State becomes the eighth state in the nation to regulate kratom.

• SB220, the Select Plant-Derived Product Regulation Act, was signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice as part of Senate Bill 220, the Industrial Hemp Development Act.The law goes into effect June 9th, according to WVNews on March 29th, 2023.
• Now, adults age 21 and older will have regulated access to the popular herbal supplement. 
• The new law also further regulates hemp-derived cannabinoid products and places enforcement under the authority of the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner. 
• The bill authorizes a 15% tax on the retail price of kratom and cannabinoid products, with proceeds to be distributed to the state’s Agricultural Fees Fund, the Fight Substance Abuse Fund, and the General Revenue Fund. 
• The American Kratom Association praised the legislation. Mac Haddow, the AKA’s senior fellow for public policy, said in a statement that the legislature’s “adoption of forward-thinking measures like the KCPA ensure kratom consumers can access safe, registered and tested products.” Several states have adopted their own versions of the KCPA, or the Kratom Consumer Protections Act.

(Photo: Public domain)