KANSAS KRATOM BAN: A LAST-MINUTE BAN JUST APPEARED IN HB 2365 — ACT TODAY

A total kratom ban was quietly inserted into an unrelated Kansas bill during a short-notice conference committee. If HB 2365 passes, thousands of law-abiding Kansans will be criminalized overnight. The House and Senate are scheduled to vote, and there is still time to stop it. Your voice is needed right now.

Take Action Now

There is one person who needs to hear from Kansas kratom consumers immediately. Contact Speaker of the House Rep. Dan Hawkins today by phone and email.

• 📞 (785) 296-2302

• 📧 Dan.Hawkins@house.ks.gov

Full action toolkit: protectkratom.org/kansas

What to Say

Personalize your message in your own words. Do not copy and paste. Use these points:

• Subject line: Kansas Voter Opposes HB 2365 — Regulate, Don't Ban

• You are a Kansas resident asking Rep. Hawkins to oppose HB 2365

• This total ban punishes responsible adults who use natural kratom safely, regulation is the right approach, not prohibition

• You urge him to support a regulatory approach consistent with the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which protects consumers through safety standards, age restrictions, and clear labeling

• Natural kratom leaf and novel synthetics like concentrated synthetic 7-OH are fundamentally different products, the law should reflect that distinction

• Natural kratom has been used safely for centuries and by millions of Americans as a wellness alternative, banning it does not address the real public health concern

• Targeting high-potency synthetic products through regulation is a more effective public health strategy than a blanket ban

• Share your personal story — if natural kratom has supported your wellness, say so. Lawmakers remember real people

What Happened — and Why It Matters

This ban did not go through the normal legislative process. During a short-notice Conference Committee, the language of a total kratom prohibition, formerly contained in SB 497, was unexpectedly added to HB 2365, a bill that had nothing to do with kratom. This kind of last-minute maneuver is designed to avoid public scrutiny and limit the opportunity for consumer voices to be heard.

If it passes, HB 2365 would make kratom a controlled substance in Kansas with no distinction between natural kratom leaf and the synthetic, adulterated concentrates that federal regulators have identified as the real public health concern. There are no consumer protections, no age restrictions, no labeling requirements. Just a blanket ban that criminalizes responsible adults overnight.

The FDA has drawn a clear line between natural kratom and synthetic 7-OH products, identifying enhanced 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) concentrates as the real issue, not natural kratom leaf. The AHPA has similarly warned against conflating 7-OH with natural kratom. As research discussed on the Huberman Lab podcast and confirmed by an FDA-supervised dosage study makes clear, these are fundamentally different products. A blanket ban ignores all of that and punishes the wrong people.

The Right Path Forward

Kansas has the opportunity to take the approach that 18 states have already chosen. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act is the proven framework: lab testing requirements, age restrictions, clear labeling, and limits on synthetic alkaloids. It protects consumers from dangerous products without criminalizing the responsible adults and small businesses that make up the vast majority of the kratom community.

Targeting high-potency synthetic products through regulation is a more effective public health strategy than a blanket ban on a product with a demonstrated history of safe use. That is what Kansas consumers deserve.

The Bigger Picture

States that have chosen regulation over prohibition have consistently produced better outcomes for consumers and public health alike. The way HB 2365 was introduced, quietly and through an unrelated bill, is exactly the kind of move that works when consumers stay silent. Do not stay silent.

Call Rep. Hawkins at (785) 296-2302. Email him at Dan.Hawkins@house.ks.gov. Do it today, before the vote.