North Carolina Kratom Ban: Oppose Part VI of HB 328 — Contact the Conference Committee Now
NORTH CAROLINA KRATOM BAN: OPPOSE PART VI OF HB 328 — CONTACT THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE NOW
North Carolina's House Bill 328 includes language in Part VI that would add kratom as a Schedule VI controlled substance — effectively banning it statewide. The bill is currently in a closed-door conference committee negotiation between House and Senate lawmakers. This is the critical window to act.
We need North Carolina advocates to contact all seven conference committee members individually, right now, by phone and email.
Take Action Now
Call and email each committee member individually. Personal outreach carries weight — especially during a closed-door negotiation.
Sen. Bill Rabon
📞 919-733-5963 | 📧 Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov
Sen. Michael Lee
📞 919-715-2525 | 📧 Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov
Sen. Tom McInnis
📞 919-733-5953 | 📧 Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov
Rep. Reece Pyrtle
📞 919-733-5779 | 📧 Reece.Pyrtle@ncleg.gov
Rep. Brenden Jones
📞 919-733-5821 | 📧 Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov
Rep. Neal Jackson
📞 919-715-4946 | 📧 Neal.Jackson@ncleg.gov
Rep. Donnie Loftis
📞 919-733-5809 | 📧 Donnie.Loftis@ncleg.gov
🔗 Take action: protectkratom.org
🔍 Find your local legislator: ncleg.gov
What to Say
Write in your own words and share your personal story — what your life was like before kratom, how you found it, and how it has helped you. Personal testimony is the most powerful tool we have. Use this as a guide:
"Please oppose the kratom ban language in HB 328. Natural kratom leaf and concentrated synthetic 7-OH are not the same thing — federal health officials have recommended scheduling synthetic 7-OH, not natural kratom leaf. Instead of a blanket ban, please support commonsense regulation — age restrictions, mandatory third-party testing, and labeling requirements."
What HB 328 Actually Does — and Where the Problem Is
Here is something important to understand about HB 328: most of it is good policy.
The bulk of the legislation establishes a smart, comprehensive regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumable products in North Carolina. It requires age verification for anyone under 21, mandates third-party lab testing before distribution, establishes clear labeling and child-resistant packaging requirements, creates a licensing structure for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, and bans hemp-derived consumable products on educational property. These are exactly the kinds of consumer protections that responsible advocates have been pushing for across the industry.
The problem is Part VI — a single section quietly inserted into an otherwise strong hemp regulation bill that has nothing to do with the bill's primary purpose.
Part VI would add kratom as a Schedule VI controlled substance under North Carolina law, placing it alongside marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols. It defines "kratom" to include any quantity of mitragynine or 7-hydroxymitragynine extracted from the leaf of the Mitragyna speciosa plant. That language makes no distinction between natural kratom leaf and dangerous concentrated synthetic 7-OH products. It would effectively criminalize a botanical that hundreds of thousands of North Carolina adults rely on as part of their daily wellness routine.
The ask is straightforward: keep the hemp regulation intact. It is good policy. Remove the kratom scheduling language from Part VI. Natural kratom deserves its own thoughtful regulatory conversation — not to be quietly criminalized inside a hemp bill. For the latest on where kratom stands legally across all 50 states, visit our kratom legality map.
Why the Kratom Scheduling Language Is Misguided
Not all kratom products are the same. There is a critical and well-documented distinction between natural kratom leaf and concentrated synthetic 7-OH products. Federal health officials have recommended scheduling synthetic 7-OH — not natural kratom leaf. The FDA has explicitly drawn this line. The American Herbal Products Association has similarly warned against conflating 7-OH with natural kratom.
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. These are fundamentally different products with fundamentally different risk profiles.
Lumping natural kratom leaf into a Schedule VI classification alongside marijuana — without any distinction between leaf and synthetic concentrate — ignores that science entirely. It would remove access for responsible adults while doing nothing to specifically address the synthetic products that have driven legitimate public health concerns.
The answer is not to bury a kratom ban inside a hemp bill. The answer is commonsense regulation — age restrictions, mandatory third-party testing, proper labeling, and rules that target dangerous synthetic products while preserving access to natural kratom for responsible adults. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act framework has already been adopted in 18 states. North Carolina has the opportunity to pursue that model rather than a backdoor scheduling that punishes consumers instead of protecting them.
The Bigger Picture
Conference committee negotiations are closed-door. That means the public pressure happening right now — the calls, the emails, the personal stories — is exactly what moves the needle. Every contact made today tells these lawmakers their constituents are paying attention.
The hemp regulation in HB 328 is worth protecting. The kratom scheduling language in Part VI is not. Contact all seven committee members today and make that case.
For the latest on kratom legality in North Carolina and other states, visit our kratom legality map.
The committee is negotiating now. Every call and email sent today matters.
