Bill seeks to ban Kratom sales in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - In Georgia, anyone over the age of 18 can buy Kratom in the store and take it, but some lawmakers at the Capitol want an all-out ban on Kratom.

House Bill 181, proposed by Republican House Representative Rick Townsend, would change the categorization of Kratom to a Schedule 1 drug, which means if someone is in possession of the substance, they could face a felony.

Mac Haddow with the American Kratom Association visited the Georgia Capitol to oppose House Bill 181.

Dozens of people packed the room for their chance to testify about the positive effects of the drug.

“It’s a harm reduction tool for people with acute pain issues and frankly people trying to wean off of opioids and illicit drugs... this bill would open up a black market, Georgians will die,” said Haddow.

Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Chief Medical Examiner for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, testified he feels Kratom is a dangerous substance. His data shows that 33 Georgians have died from Kratom in Georgia over the last several years.

Pitter Goffner lost her husband after he took Kratom and drank an energy drink. She says he was taking it to sleep better at night. Her daughter Mo says they’re testifying to make sure other people can understand the risks.

“Knowing that I am going to college, I’m a cheerleader, he will never get to watch me do that. He won’t get to walk me down the aisle, he won’t get to see me graduate,” said Goffner.

A handful of states have banned the substance and even more have enacted protection laws to add additional warnings to their labels.

You can watch the full discussion here.

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