Arkansas House Kills Kratom Legalization Bill

Arkansas has been actively debating the legalization of kratom.

Recently, the Arkansas Senate passed a bill, known as the "Arkansas Kratom Consumer Protection Act," which aimed to lift the state's ban on kratom and regulate its sale to adults. This bill proposed measures such as third-party lab testing, potency limits, and a ban on synthetically derived kratom products. However, the bill faced opposition in the House committee and was ultimately rejected.

On April 7, the Arkansas Senate passed the bill 24-5. The bill then went to the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee. After only a brief discussion, the bill was returned by the committee with a "do not pass" recommendation, effectively killing the bill.

Many kratom advocates supported the bill which would have decriminalized kratom consumers in the state. Among the bill's supporters is the family of Marshall Price, a man who was killed in jail awaiting a 10 year prison sentence for carrying just 200 grams of kratom tea powder.

In October 2024, the Price family filed a federal lawsuit over the in-custody death of Marshall Ray Price at the Greene County Jail in Arkansas.

Price died from severe injuries under questionable circumstances, with conflicting accounts from jail officials. Initially, his death was attributed to a fall, but later reports mentioned a "consensual boxing match" between inmates, which eyewitnesses claim does not align with the extent of his injuries. Surveillance footage showed Price performing cleaning duties after the alleged match, raising further doubts.

Price had been arrested for possessing kratom, a legal herbal supplement in most states, after a traffic stop based on a fabricated offense. Advocates argue that Price was unfairly targeted, and his death highlights systemic issues in Arkansas' criminal justice system. Investigative journalists Eric Ferkenhoff and Valerie Bauman brought national attention to the case with two stories published in Newsweek, exposing broader concerns about jail conditions and inmate treatment in the state. The lawsuit underscores the need for accountability and reform.