House adopts measure restricting kratom extracts, preserves limited access to pure-leaf products

The Utah House passed Senate Bill 45 on March 4, 2026, adopting substituted language that restricts the manufacture and retail sale of extracted or adulterated kratom products while preserving access to defined “pure leaf” kratom. The bill passed the House 63–10 and will be returned to the Senate for further consideration.

Sponsor Representative Hall told the chamber the substitute is a negotiated compromise to reduce public health risks while retaining access to natural leaf products. “Since 2019, there have been nearly 200 kratom-related deaths in the state, with approximately 15 of them involving kratom alone,” Hall said, urging support for stricter limits on extracts and adulterants.

The adopted substitute generally (1) classifies certain kratom alkaloids for control while creating an explicit exemption for defined pure‑leaf kratom products that contain no extracts or non-kratom additives and meet an upper alkaloid threshold, (2) requires registration for processors and permits retail sales in registered tobacco-specialty stores, (3) raises the minimum purchase age from 18 to 21, and (4) raises civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized manufacture or distribution.

Lawmakers spent substantial time debating the policy tradeoffs. Representative Hawkins moved an amendment to permit manufacturers to continue in‑state production beyond the bill’s phase‑out date so long as products were not sold in Utah; that amendment was ruled out of order against the adopted substitute and later failed when put before the House. Hawkins argued for economic relief for industry employees and manufacturers, noting there are dozens of Utah processors and raising concerns about job losses and local investment.

Opponents emphasized public‑health risks tied to concentrated extracts. Representative Stoddard read label language from an extract product that warns of high potency and potential harms, and Representative Thurston and others said the substitute reflects concessions reached after months of stakeholder discussion. Representative Lee challenged some sponsors’ framing of the problem, asserting that synthetic derivatives are the primary source of severe harms.

The House adopted and circled multiple substitutes during floor action before final passage. The floor record shows repeated motions to circle, substitute and call the question as sponsors and critics negotiated the bill’s final language.

The measure preserves limited access to defined pure‑leaf kratom while restricting production and retail of extracts and adulterated products; it now goes back to the Senate for further action.

Votes and next steps: The House recorded 63 yes votes and 10 no votes on the adopted substitute and returned the bill to the Senate for consideration.