Do not ban natural kratom leaf

Dear [Lawmaker],

The Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Judiciary Committees are considering

legislation that would criminalize natural kratom leaf users statewide.

Under the current proposals:
● Possession of natural kratom could become a Class A misdemeanor
● Manufacturing or selling natural kratom could become a felony
● Responsible adult consumers would be treated like criminals

These bills fail to distinguish between natural kratom leaf and dangerous synthetic substances.

Tennessee lawmakers have another option. This broad approach goes directly against the

current stance of the FDA and HHS, who are focused solely on concentrated synthetic

alkaloids. When announcing recent federal actions, FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary

emphasized this critical distinction, stating: “We are not targeting the kratom leaf or ground-up

kratom. We are targeting a concentrated synthetic byproduct that is an opioid.”

They can amend the ban bills to clearly exclude natural kratom products and instead support

HB2594 (The Tennessee Kratom Consumer Protection Act) / SB2417, which provides a regulatory framework that protects consumers while addressing public safety concerns.

Sincerely,
______

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