TENNESSEE KRATOM BAN: SENATE PASSED HB 1649 — TELL GOVERNOR LEE TO VETO NOW

The Tennessee Senate has voted to pass HB 1649. The bill now awaits Governor Bill Lee's signature. The Governor has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto. This is the last chance to stop the Tennessee kratom ban. Every call and message to the Governor's office matters right now.

Take Action Now

Call the Governor's office and submit the online contact form today. Personal calls are the most impactful action available right now.

• 📞 Call the Governor's Office: (615) 741-2001

• 🌐 Online contact form: tn.gov/governor/contact-us.html

• 📬 Mail: Governor Bill Lee, 1st Floor, State Capitol, Nashville, TN 37243

• 🗳 Vote on the kratom ban poll: wate.com

• 🔗 Full action toolkit: protectkratom.org/tenn

What to Say

Be polite, concise, and personal. Reference the bill numbers and share your story. Use this as a guide:

"I'm writing to ask you to oppose kratom criminalization in HB 1649 and SB 1656. Safe natural kratom products are used by many veterans and citizens throughout the state. Please support responsible regulations through the Tennessee Kratom Consumer Protection Act, and keep citizens safe from bans and criminalization. A kratom ban would unfairly criminalize thousands of law-abiding citizens and create a huge unnecessary expenditure in lives and state services."

Tips for Reaching Out

• Reference the bill numbers: HB 1649 / SB 1656

• Be polite and concise

• Share your personal story — how kratom has impacted your life

• If you are a veteran, business owner, or long-term consumer, say so

Where Things Stand — Timeline of Events

Here is a full recap of how HB 1649 has progressed:

• 2018 — Tennessee passes a law explicitly legalizing natural kratom for adults over 21, with labeling requirements and a ban on synthetic alkaloids

• Early February 2026 — SB 2417, the regulatory alternative, referred to the Senate Delayed Bills Committee and stalls

• Early 2026 — HB 1649 and SB 1656, collectively known as "Matthew Davenport's Law," introduced to criminalize all forms of kratom in Tennessee

• March 25, 2026 — Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing held on HB 1649; consumer advocates call and email in force

• March 31, 2026 — House Finance, Ways and Means Committee hearing; advocates show up in person

• April 8, 2026 — HB 1649 passes the full House by a vote of 78-9 and is referred to the Senate Calendar Committee the same day

• April 8, 2026 — Regulatory alternatives HB 2594 and SB 2417 stall and are largely overshadowed by the progress of the total ban

• April 14, 2026 — SB 1656 placed on the Senate Regular Calendar for a floor vote on April 16

• April 16, 2026 — Tennessee Senate passes HB 1649

• Now — The bill is on Governor Lee's desk. He has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto. This is the last line of defense

What HB 1649 Would Do

HB 1649 and SB 1656, collectively known as "Matthew Davenport's Law," would criminalize kratom in Tennessee with no distinction between natural kratom leaf and the synthetic, adulterated concentrates that federal regulators have actually identified as the real public health concern. The criminal penalties are severe:

• Possession — Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500

• Manufacture or sale — Class C felony, carrying 3 to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000

• Sale to minors — Escalated to a Class B felony, carrying 8 to 30 years in prison

Beyond the criminal penalties, the bills would also:

• Require medical examiners to test for kratom in suspected drug overdose autopsies

• Require the Commissioner of Labor to add kratom to the official definition of "drug" for workplace drug testing purposes

If signed into law, the act would take effect July 1, 2026.

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 study makes clear, these are fundamentally different products. A blanket ban ignores all of that and punishes the wrong people.

The Right Path Forward

Tennessee already has a better option available. HB 2594 and SB 2417, the Tennessee Kratom Consumer Protection Act, would have kept natural kratom legal and regulated while targeting the synthetic and adulterated products that pose real risks. The bill would have prohibited synthetic alkaloids and required a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for all products to ensure they were free from heavy metals like lead and arsenic. Although these bills have stalled, they represent the right approach and the standard consumers and advocates should continue to push for. The Kratom Consumer Protection Act framework has been adopted in 18 states and is the proven approach for protecting consumers without criminalization.

Governor Lee has the power to send this back to the legislature. A veto is not the end — it is a message that Tennessee deserves a better approach.

The Bigger Picture

States that have chosen regulation over prohibition have consistently produced better outcomes for consumers and public health alike. Tennessee has a clear choice. The Senate passed the ban. Now it is up to the Governor.

Call (615) 741-2001. Submit the online contact form at tn.gov/governor/contact-us.html. Visit protectkratom.org/tenn for the full action toolkit. For the latest on kratom legality in Tennessee and other states, visit our kratom legality map.