Is Kratom Legal in Michigan?

Kratom has an interesting legal history in Michigan, a very interesting and somewhat frightening state full of militias, brutal winters, beautiful landscapes contrasted with the vast urban apocalypse of Detroit.

There have been several legislative developments regarding its regulation in the state.

Kratom is currently legal in Michigan. But in the past, there have been bills related to kratom regulation in the state.

In 2014, there were attempts to both add kratom to the controlled substances list and regulate its sales to individuals aged 18 or older. The ban bill was publicly opposed with more than 1700 signatures. HB5707 and HB5736 were both regulation bills. Ultimately, kratom was neither banned nor regulated in 2014.

In 2019, a senator introduced another bill that would add Kratom to the Schedule II of the controlled substances act. That would mean people would require a medical prescription to access Kratom. SB0433 did not pass.

HB5477, which passed the House and was referred to the Senate Committee On Regulatory Reform in May 2022, aimed to regulate kratom under the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). This bill required licenses for selling and manufacturing kratom, along with content, age, and labeling regulations. The bill died in a senate committee.

HB4061 was introduced in 2023. It proposed “regulation of distribution, sale, and manufacturing of kratom products”. Vendors would be required to obtain a license for each location where they sell, with a license application fee of $200. The bill outlined strict labeling requirements, prohibits sale to persons under 21 years of aged, and required all products to be lab-tested. This bill did not die but has not moved from the Committee On Regulatory Reform since February 1, 2023.