Consumer Advocate's Toolbox for Natural Leaf Kratom

Why advocates matter right now

The fight over kratom has moved from state capitols to city councils and county boards. In a single week in September 2026, AKA's legislative team tracked hearings or votes in California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. Some councils, like Coachella and Downey, California, chose regulation: age limits, a cap on 7-OH, honest labels. Others, like Mount Vernon and Grant County, Washington, and Rensselaer County, New York, voted for outright bans, often after little discussion and with no consumer in the room.

That is the gap advocates fill. When a consumer shows up with the science and a personal story, bans get turned into regulation. When no one shows up, the ban passes.

1. Know the facts cold

   The strongest advocates lead with a few numbers and let the science do the work.

   • Natural kratom has been used for centuries; about 1.7 million Americans used it last year (NIDA).
   • NIDA has funded more than $100 million in kratom research, and in June 2026 NIH began the first human trial of purified mitragynine as a treatment for opioid addiction.
   • FDA's own human dose study found kratom "well tolerated at all dose levels."
   • HHS rejected FDA's ban request in 2018 for "embarrassingly poor evidence."
   • Six states banned kratom before 2017 on FDA's promise of a federal ban that never came. No state has enacted a ban since; 22 have passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act instead.
   • Only 0.44 percent of U.S. adolescents report ever trying kratom. It is bitter, expensive and produces no euphoric high.
   • The products causing harm are chemically manipulated 7-OH and pseudoindoxyl concentrates that HHS and FDA have recommended for Schedule I. They are not kratom, and AKA wants them off the shelf too.

2. Ask for the right thing

   Advocates do not ask lawmakers to do nothing. They ask for the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which does what a ban cannot: it keeps dangerous products out and keeps safe products honest.

   • Minimum purchase age (18 or 21, matching the state's tobacco rule).
   • A ban on synthetic and chemically boosted alkaloids, with 7-OH capped at 2 percent of total alkaloids.
   • Truthful labels listing mitragynine content and serving size.
   • Registration and penalties for sellers who adulterate or mislabel.
   • Behind-the-counter or locked-cabinet sales where local officials want extra youth protection.

   When a city says it is "waiting for the state," point to the Riverside, California model: age restrictions, a 2 percent 7-OH limit, and packaging rules, adopted locally while state action continues.

3. Tell your story

   Lawmakers remember people, not PDFs. Two or three sentences are enough: who you are, why you use kratom, what a ban would mean for you. AKA collects testimonials for hearings and for this site. Share yours by connecting with kratom advocates.

4. Show up

   • Connect with the American Kratom Protectors. AKA's national grassroots network. Kratom advocates get action alerts when a bill or ordinance moves in their state, with the hearing date, the committee, and a one-page brief to bring.
   • Sign up for state alerts. Pick your state so you only hear about what affects you.
   • Attend or call in. Most councils allow public comment in person, by Zoom, or by phone. The weekly Legislative and Regulatory Update lists sign-up links and deadlines.
   • Write once, then follow up. A short, polite email to each committee member before a hearing, and a thank-you after, is the most effective thing a single advocate can do.

5. Buy smart

   Advocacy starts at the register. Check the Supplement Facts panel: it should list mitragynine and show 7-OH as non-detectable or under 2 percent. If the front of the package says 7-OH, 7-Hydroxy, Ohmz, Pseudo, or "Superior" or "Enhanced" Kratom Alkaloids, it is not kratom. Put it back and tell the store owner why.