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Committee adopts substitute to tighten rules on kratom and concentrated 7‑OH products, shifts enforcement locally
Summary
The House Regulatory Reform Committee adopted substitute H‑2 to HB 4969, clarifying kratom is not a food, increasing penalties, and directing enforcement to local law enforcement and third‑party testing. The committee reported the bill with recommendation (recorded 12 yays, 1 nay, 1 pass).
Representative Cabot introduced substitute H‑2 to House Bill 4969, telling the committee he doubled fines, strengthened punishments and clarified that kratom should not be regulated as a food product. He said the substitute makes it explicit that chemically concentrated 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) derivatives are to be treated as drugs and shifts enforcement to local law enforcement and third‑party experts while channeling collected funds to local governments much like traffic fines.
Adam Hagedorn, legislative director for the sponsor, said the sponsor worked with state departments including MDARD to refine language so the bill would not treat natural…
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