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Kansas committee hears competing evidence on scheduling kratom compounds in SB 497
Summary
The Senate Public Health and Welfare committee heard hours of proponent and opponent testimony on SB 497, which would add mitragynine and 7‑hydroxymitragynine to Schedule I; proponents cited forensic and public‑health risks while opponents urged distinguishing synthetic 7‑OH from whole‑leaf kratom and favored targeted regulation.
The Kansas Senate Public Health and Welfare committee on July 29 held a hearing on Senate Bill 497, which would add mitragynine and 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) to Schedule I of the Kansas Uniform Controlled Substances Act and adjust a criminal‑code definition tied to fentanyl‑related substances. Jenna provided the bill brief, and proponents and opponents then presented extensive testimony.
Proponents, including sponsor Senator Jeff Clint, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and public‑health officials, said 7‑OH behaves like an opioid, carries high abuse potential and has been tied to overdoses. Sarah Hortenstine, executive director of the State Child Death Review Board and division chief of youth services in the Kansas attorney general’s office, told the committee kratom and 7‑OH act on opioid receptors and that higher doses can cause respiratory depression, dependence and death.…
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