On July 12th, 2022, the Ascension Parish in Louisiana held a council meeting to discuss the regulation of kratom by proposing to ban the manufacturing, selling and consumption of kratom.

Several members of the community such as a law-enforcement officer, staff of substance abuse centers, and an individual struggling with addiction came forward to speak in front of the Strategic Planning Committee.

The law enforcement official claimed that there is no research behind kratom and that it is comparable to illegal and synthetic substances such as bath salts and synthetic marijuana. He claimed that it is “ basically a synthetic heroin” and “it’s bad stuff”.

The Parish of Ascension is considering kratom prohibition and criminalization. Another meeting will be held at 6 pm on July 21st.

This is not the first time Louisiana officials are attempting to ban kratom. It has happened several times over the last 6 years, however, the bans have never succeeded.

Due to the misinformation being spread about kratom, and to prevent any further bans, the American Kratom Association has created a campaign to urge kratom consumers to contact the council members and share their testimonies. Another council meeting was scheduled at 6 p.m. on July 21st, however, due to the kratom community action taking place and a large number of testimonials that were sent, the meeting was canceled until further notice. 

If you would like to still contribute your story, you can do so here.

Super Speciosa continues to be an active supporter of the American Kratom Association in the effort to prevent kratom criminalization and to aid in educating individuals about this tropical, natural plant.