In Tennessee, after a strong testimony from the Botanical Education Alliance (BEA) board members Travis Lowin, Angela Watson, and 3 members of the kratom community, the Health Committee voted 6-3 to remove kratom from bill HB1832.
SUMMARY OF AMENDMENT (014040): Deletes sections 10 and 11 from the bill, relating to Kratom.
The Original Bill read “Unless specifically excepted or unless listed in another schedule, it is an offense to knowingly produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, offer for sale, or possess any capsule, pill, or other product composed of or containing any amount of Kratom, in its natural botanical form, or any capsule, pill, or other product composed of or containing any amount of mitragynine or hydroxymitragynine.”
Both amended bills, HB1832 and SB2258 “ have been recommended to be passed.
While Tennessee has won this kratom battle, the war isn't over. On March 15, 2018, U.S. Repsresentatives Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) and Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) introduced HR5298 - To amend the Controlled Substances Act to deem drugs or other substances that act as opioid mu receptor agonists to be in schedule I, subject to exceptions for substances intended for legitimate medical or research use, and for other purposes.