KENTUCKY KRATOM BAN: TELL GOVERNOR BESHEAR TO VETO HB 757 BEFORE APRIL 15

In a shocking last-minute move, a Senate committee inserted kratom ban language into an unrelated Kentucky bill with no warning, no transparency, and no public hearings. HB 757 has now passed the legislature and is headed to Governor Andy Beshear's desk. The session ends April 15. This is the last chance to stop it.

Call the Governor's Office right now:

• 📞 (502) 564-2611

• Tell them clearly: Veto HB 757 and protect Kentucky's Kratom Consumer Protection Act from 2024

Full action toolkit: protectkratom.org/kentucky

What to Say to the Governor's Office

• Please veto HB 757

• Kentucky already passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act in 2024 — enforce that law, don't abandon it

• This ban was inserted without public input and criminalizes responsible consumers

• If kratom has supported your wellness, share your personal story

The HB 757 Bait and Switch — What Actually Happened

HB 757 started as an unrelated bill covering prediction market taxes and school levies. It had nothing to do with kratom. Then, without warning, a Senate committee inserted language that would reclassify kratom's primary alkaloids as prohibited substances, effectively turning the bill into a vehicle for total prohibition — bypassing the public hearing process entirely as the session nears its April 15 deadline.

This matters because Kentucky already did the right thing. In 2024, the state passed HB 293, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which established a regulated market with an age limit of 21+, labeling requirements, and a 2% 7-OH cap — making Kentucky the 12th state to codify kratom protections for consumers. HB 757 would repeal every one of those protections and replace them with a total ban. That is not a policy update. It is a deliberate rollback of consumer protections that Kentucky consumers and advocates worked hard to put in place.

What HB 757 Would Mean for Kentucky Consumers

If HB 757 passes in its current form, the consequences are immediate and serious:

• All kratom sales stop — smoke shops, gas stations, and online sales to Kentucky addresses would become illegal

• Criminalization — possession and distribution of kratom products would carry criminal penalties under state controlled substance laws

• Loss of safe access — consumers would be pushed toward black market products or more dangerous alternatives

• Economic impact — the state would lose significant sales tax revenue currently generated by the regulated kratom industry

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 concern, 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.

Take Action Now

Call senators first, then follow up with House Leadership. Email individually in batches of 10 and wait 20 minutes between batches to avoid spam filters. Do not mass-copy everyone.

Additional Ways to Make Your Voice Heard

• Call the Legislative Message Line: Dial (1-800-372-7181) and leave a message for "All Senators" and "All Representatives" stating: "I oppose the kratom ban language in HB 757 and urge you to protect safe, regulated consumer access."

• Visit the Capitol: If you are in Frankfort, leave written messages for your legislators at the LRC Message Center in the Annex.

• Use Advocacy Buddy: globalkratomcoalition.org/advocacy-buddy sends a personalized message to your lawmakers in under 5 minutes.

What to Say

Write and speak in your own words. Make these points:

• You are a Kentucky resident asking them to oppose HB 757

• Kentucky already passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act in 2024 — enforce that law, don't abandon it

• Target dangerous synthetic 7-OH products, not natural kratom

• If kratom has supported your wellness, share your personal story — lawmakers remember real people

Kentucky Senate — Call and Email Now

• Sen. Julie Raque Adams — (502) 564-8100 | Julie.Adams@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong — (502) 564-8100 | Cassie.Armstrong@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Karen Berg — (502) 564-8100 | Karen.Berg@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Gary Boswell — (502) 564-8100 | Gary.Boswell@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Jared Carpenter — (502) 564-8100 | Jared.Carpenter@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Danny Carroll — (502) 564-8100 | Danny.Carroll@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Gary Clemons — (502) 564-8100 | Gary.Clemons@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Matthew Deneen — (502) 564-8100 | Matthew.Deneen@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Donald Douglas — (502) 564-8100 | Donald.Douglas@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Greg Elkins — (502) 564-8100 | Greg.Elkins@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer — (502) 564-8100 | Shelley.FunkeFrommeyer@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Rick Girdler — (502) 564-8100 | Rick.Girdler@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. David P. Givens — (502) 564-8100 | David.Givens@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Keturah J. Herron — (502) 564-8100 | Keturah.Herron@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Jimmy Higdon — (502) 564-8100 | Jimmy.Higdon@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Jason Howell — (502) 564-8100 | Jason.Howell@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Scott Madon — (502) 564-8100 | Scott.Madon@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe — (502) 564-8100 | Amanda.MaysBledsoe@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Christian McDaniel — (502) 564-8100 | Christian.McDaniel@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Stephen Meredith — (502) 564-8100 | Stephen.Meredith@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Robby Mills — (502) 564-8100 | Robby.Mills@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Gerald A. Neal — (502) 564-8100 | Gerald.Neal@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Michael J. Nemes — (502) 564-8100 | Michael.Nemes@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Matt Nunn — (502) 564-8100 | Matt.Nunn@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Steve Rawlings — (502) 564-8100 | Steve.Rawlings@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Aaron Reed — (502) 564-8100 | Aaron.Reed@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Craig Richardson — (502) 564-8100 | Craig.Richardson@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Brandon Smith — (502) 564-8100 | Brandon.Smith@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Robert Stivers — (502) 564-8100 | Robert.Stivers@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Brandon J. Storm — (502) 564-8100 | Brandon.Storm@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Reginald L. Thomas — (502) 564-8100 | Reginald.Thomas@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Lindsey Tichenor — (502) 564-8100 | Lindsey.Tichenor@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Robin L. Webb — (502) 564-8100 | Robin.Webb@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Stephen West — (502) 564-8100 | Stephen.West@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Phillip Wheeler — (502) 564-8100 | Phillip.Wheeler@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Gex Williams — (502) 564-8100 | Gex.Williams@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Mike Wilson — (502) 564-8100 | Mike.Wilson@kylegislature.gov

• Sen. Max Wise — (502) 564-8100 | Max.Wise@kylegislature.gov

Kentucky House Leadership — Contact After Senate

• Speaker Rep. David W. Osborne — (502) 564-4334 | David.Osborne@kylegislature.gov

• Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. David Meade — (502) 564-4334 | David.Meade@kylegislature.gov

• Majority Floor Leader Rep. Steven Rudy — (502) 564-8100 | Steven.Rudy@kylegislature.gov

• Majority Caucus Chair Rep. Suzanne Miles — (502) 564-2217 | Suzanne.Miles@kylegislature.gov

• Majority Whip Rep. Jason Nemes — (502) 564-8100 | Jason.Nemes@kylegislature.gov

• Minority Floor Leader Rep. Pamela Stevenson — (502) 564-8100 | Pamela.Stevenson@kylegislature.gov

• Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Lindsey Burke — (502) 564-8100 | Lindsey.Burke@kylegislature.gov

• Minority Whip Rep. Joshua Watkins — (502) 564-8100 | Joshua.Watkins@kylegislature.gov

What HB 757 Would Do

HB 757 would ban kratom sales statewide in Kentucky with no distinction between natural kratom leaf and the synthetic, adulterated concentrates that federal regulators have actually identified as the real public health concern. What makes this particularly alarming is that Kentucky already passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act in 2024, establishing a regulated framework that protects consumers through safety standards, age restrictions, and clear labeling. HB 757 would abandon that law entirely and replace it with a blanket ban that criminalizes responsible adults.

This ban was not introduced through the normal legislative process. It was quietly inserted into an unrelated bill by a Senate committee with no public hearings and no opportunity for consumer input.

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 concern, 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

Kentucky already has the right framework in place. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act passed in 2024 established lab testing requirements, age restrictions, clear labeling, and limits on synthetic alkaloids. That law should be enforced and built upon, not repealed and replaced with prohibition. Targeting dangerous synthetic 7-OH products is the right public health strategy. A blanket ban is not. For the latest on kratom legality in Kentucky and other states, visit our kratom legality map.

The Bigger Picture

States that have chosen regulation over prohibition have consistently produced better outcomes for consumers and public health alike. Kentucky made the right choice in 2024. HB 757 would undo all of it.

Use Advocacy Buddy to send a personalized message to lawmakers in under 5 minutes. Call every senator. Call House Leadership. Call the Legislative Message Line at (1-800-372-7181). Visit protectkratom.org/kentucky for the full action toolkit.

The session ends April 15. There is no time left to wait.