Petition to Ban Kratom Rejected by Virginia Board of Pharmacy

A petition to place kratom on Schedule 1 of Virginia's list of controlled substances has been rejected by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy

A petition filed April 11, 2024 sought to criminalize kratom consumers in Virginia.

A comment period for the petition was open from May 6 through June 5. Of the 2,920 comments, a vast majority were opposed to the petition, and in favor of keeping kratom legal.

Multiple anonymous comments in favor of the petition seem to be posted by the same one or two individuals. Kratom activists also complained their names were used to post comments that they did not post.

On July 25, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy met and considered all public comments before ultimately voting to reject the petition.

An attempt to ban kratom in Virginia in 2016 failed. In 2023, Virginia's Kratom Consumer Protection Act, passed, regulating kratom sales in the state.