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Committee endorses resolution urging stricter regulation of kratom after family testimony about fatal interaction
Summary
The Judiciary Full Committee voted unanimously to send House Joint Resolution 147 — urging regulation or ban of kratom — to calendar and rules after testimony from Karen Davenport, whose son died from a drug interaction involving kratom.
The Tennessee House Judiciary Full Committee voted unanimously to move House Joint Resolution 147 to the calendar and rules committee after extended testimony about kratom, an herbal product that witnesses said mimics opioids and is widely available in convenience stores.
Representative Hilton Haynes introduced HJR 147 as a resolution to urge stricter state-level regulation or an outright ban on kratom, citing national reports of harm and deaths. "Kratom mimics the opioids currently problematic for abuse, addiction, and lethal side effects," Haynes told the committee.
The committee heard personal testimony from Karen Davenport, a nurse practitioner and mother of a man who died on March 18, 2024. Davenport said her son, Matthew, died after a lethal interaction between doctor-prescribed medication and kratom that he purchased at a convenience store.
"Matthew was living proof that a person could regain their footing with proper care," Davenport said. "Tragically that stability was cut short when Kratom purchased as casually as breath mints at a nearby convenience store played a fatal role in his death."
Davenport testified she had not known about kratom until her son’s death, and that medical examiners had reported kratom-only fatal overdoses in some states. She asked lawmakers to support the "strictest state regulation of kratom or even an outright ban on the sale of kratom in Tennessee."
Other committee members expressed sympathy and support. Representative Angus said the resolution was a "step in the right direction" and that he shared the concern that unrestricted availability at gas stations is poor public policy.
The committee voted 19-0 to send HJR 147 to calendar and rules.
Ending: With the committee's unanimous vote, the resolution proceeds to calendar and rules. Committee members said they would consider further legislation and coordination with public-health agencies if the state pursues regulation or prohibition.
