GEORGIA KRATOM HEARING: SHOW UP IN BRUNSWICK THIS FRIDAY AUGUST 21

Georgia's Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Youth Exposure to Kratom and Retail-Available Substances is holding its second hearing this Friday, August 21 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET at the Southeast Georgia Conference Center in Brunswick. The committee is chaired by outspoken kratom critic Rep. Rick Townsend and is focused on evaluating kratom's impact on minors.

We need Georgia advocates in that room on Friday.

You do not need to testify to make a difference. Simply showing up sends a powerful message that Georgia consumers are engaged and paying attention — and that message matters to every lawmaker in that room.

Hearing Details

📅 Friday, August 21, 2026

⏰ 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET

📍 Southeast Georgia Conference Center at the College of Coastal Georgia, 7 Mariner Way, Brunswick, GA 31520

🔗 Sign up and get details: protectkratom.org/georgia

Take Action Now

Attend the hearing in person on Friday.

This is the most impactful action Georgia advocates can take right now. The committee is chaired by a known kratom critic — strong consumer turnout in Brunswick on Friday sends a direct signal that real Georgia residents depend on responsible access to natural kratom.

You do not need to testify. Your presence alone counts. Sign up and get details at protectkratom.org/georgia.

If you are a business owner, bring staff. If you know other Georgia kratom consumers — share this post and bring them with you.

What This Committee Is and Why It Matters

Georgia's Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Youth Exposure to Kratom and Retail-Available Substances is a legislative study committee tasked with evaluating kratom's impact on minors. No vote is expected at this hearing — but study committee findings and consumer turnout directly shape the legislation that follows.

The committee is chaired by Rep. Rick Townsend, an outspoken kratom critic. That makes strong, visible consumer presence at every hearing critical. Lawmakers pay attention to who shows up. A packed room of engaged, respectful Georgia consumers sends a message that no written report can replicate.

This is the second hearing. The findings from these hearings will inform what Georgia legislators propose next. Being in that room on Friday is how Georgia advocates shape that conversation before it becomes a bill.

Why Natural Kratom Deserves Regulation, Not a Ban

The committee's focus is on youth exposure — a legitimate concern that responsible kratom advocates share. The answer to that concern is not a blanket ban. The answer is commonsense regulation — age restrictions that keep kratom out of the hands of minors, mandatory third-party testing, and proper labeling that gives consumers accurate information.

Natural kratom leaf and dangerous synthetic 7-OH concentrates are not the same product. Federal regulators have explicitly drawn this distinction. The DEA has moved to place concentrated synthetic 7-OH into Schedule I federally. The FDA has specifically recommended that synthetic 7-OH be classified as a controlled substance — not natural kratom leaf.

Kratom advocates have taken this message directly to Washington. In a recent Congressional briefing, advocates urged lawmakers to support natural kratom leaf products while warning of the distinct risks posed by synthetic concentrates — reinforcing the same distinction that federal regulators have already drawn. Read more: Kratom Advocates Brief U.S. Congress in Support of Natural Leaf Products, Warn of the Risks Posed by Synthetics.

As research discussed on the Huberman Lab podcast makes clear, natural kratom leaf has a distinct profile that sets it apart from synthetic concentrates. That distinction was further reinforced by an FDA clinical trial — the first of its kind — which examined kratom's pharmacological profile and underscored why natural leaf should not be treated the same as dangerous synthetic 7-OH. For the latest on kratom legality in Georgia and other states, visit our kratom legality map. Learn more about kratom legality and regulation nationwide.

The Bigger Picture

Study committees set the tone for what comes next. A packed room of respectful, engaged Georgia consumers at Friday's hearing is one of the most powerful signals advocates can send before this committee issues its findings.

Sign up and get details at protectkratom.org/georgia. Share this post with every Georgia kratom consumer you know. If you can be in Brunswick on Friday — be there.

The hearing is this Friday. Show up.