Utah panel weighs splitting kratom permits, product limits and taxes as public recounts deaths and addiction

The Business and Labor Interim Committee on Aug. 20 conducted an extended discussion of kratom regulation after a presentation from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). Amber Brown, deputy commissioner for the Department of Agriculture and Food, and Dr. Forsyth of UDAF’s specialized products division laid out options that would allow the agency to better register and inspect kratom products sold in Utah.

Brown said the department is currently tasked with regulating kratom and that the program recently moved into the specialized products division, which also regulates medical cannabis and industrial hemp. She told the committee the department is not advocating that kratom be sold, but that it must regulate products currently on the market. "If the committee or the legislature decided to ban kratom outright, we would not oppose," Brown said.

UDAF staff recommended separating the current statutory role of “processor” into three distinct permit types — distributor, manufacturer and retailer — so the agency can tailor inspections and sanitation oversight. Dr. Forsyth said the split would mirror the department’s hemp program and…