Pennsylvania House Passes Kratom Regulation Bill 202-0, Sending It to the Senate

The Pennsylvania House voted 202-0 on October 5 to pass House Bill 2657, the Regulation and Oversight of Kratom Act, which would create a state registration system for natural kratom sales, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported. The bill was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on October 13 and is not yet law.

Under the amended bill, processors and retailers would register annually with the Department of Health, and sales would be limited to adults 21 and older, with ID scanning at checkout. Only natural leaf products, such as powders and capsules, containing no more than 0.05% 7-hydroxymitragynine by dry weight could be sold, while synthetic and semi-synthetic products would be prohibited. Products would need batch details, required warnings and child-resistant packaging, with no medical claims.

A 12% retail tax would fund administration and enforcement, and penalties would target sellers rather than consumers. Sponsor Rep. Bridget Kosierowski called the bill “a responsible middle ground” between inaction and criminalizing use. The Senate has limited session days left this term.