Is Kratom Legal in Maryland?

After a few failed legislative attempts in the past, recent developments in Maryland have indicated the state's direction in how it will legislate kratom.

In 2020, two sister bills that would place kratom on Maryland's list of controlled substances. The ban bills were HB283 in Maryland's House and SB147 in the Senate.

After testimony on SB147 by multiple kratom consumers at a January 22, 2020 hearing, Sen. Ronald Young, who introduced the ban bill, said, “You all have made a great case. I’ve got arthritis in my knees. It makes me wanna go out and try it.”

The language in the bill was then replaced by language that would regulate, rather than ban kratom.

However, both bills died, and kratom remained unregulated.

In February 2024, a full kratom regulation bill was introduced, HB1229. The bill would pass legislation "Requiring a retailer that prepares, distributes, sells, or exposes for sale a kratom product to disclose the factual basis on which the representation is made; establishing prohibitions related to the preparation, distribution, and sale of kratom products, including prohibitions related to the sale of kratom to individuals under the age of 21 years and the marketing of kratom to minors; establishing certain penalties for violations of the Act; etc."

The bill had several bipartisan sponsors, pass both houses, and was signed by the governor on May 16, 2024. Therefore kratom is legal and regulated in the state of Maryland.

A statement by the Global Kratom Coalition stated, "The Global Kratom Coalition (GKC) is encouraged by Maryland's recent enactment of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), setting the stage for safe access to kratom products for consumers."

"By implementing age restrictions and enhancing transparency through label disclosures, these states are taking proactive steps to ensure that consumers can make informed decisions about their kratom usage. Including provisions for reporting adverse health events demonstrates a commitment to ongoing monitoring and improvement of kratom safety protocols."