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Committee advances kratom ban after tense testimony from users and addiction specialists
Summary
The Finance, Ways, and Means subcommittee voted to move HB 16-49, a bill that would ban kratom in Tennessee, to full finance after testimony from addiction specialists and residents produced sharply divided views on safety and regulation.
Chairlady Helton Haynes presented HB 16-49 to prohibit the sale and distribution of kratom and related compounds in Tennessee, saying the proposal responds to "growing public concern and safety surrounding kratom" and would establish criminal penalties, require medical examiner testing in suspected overdoses and expand toxicology testing.
Testimony at the subcommittee hearing sharply split. Dr. Matthew Bruin, a licensed marriage and family therapist and addiction specialist, told lawmakers that treatment centers are seeing an increase in kratom-related admissions and warned of dose-dependent effects: "Loose leaf kratom in small doses produces a somewhat stimulating effect. In larger doses, it produces the opposite effect, which is a depressant effect," he said. Dr. Bruin said heavier use can resemble opiate depressant effects and impair vehicle operation.
Opponents urged regulation instead of a ban. Kelly Combs, a Tennessee resident who said she has used "Pure Leaf Kratom" for four years to manage chronic pain while remaining in recovery, told the panel that responsible adults rely on the product and that a prohibition would eliminate small businesses and jobs. "For the past 4 years, I've used it responsibly. It has not impaired me or led me back to addiction," she said, and asked the committee to consider consumer-protection and product-regulation approaches that target synthetic adulterated products rather than traditional leaf kratom.
Members raised questions about distinguishing loose-leaf kratom from concentrated synthetics (so-called 7-OH derivatives), enforcement costs, and whether treatment outcomes differ between kratom and other opioids. Several members recounted personal accounts of difficult detox experiences and public-safety concerns; others highlighted constituent testimony and asked whether regulatory alternatives could be drafted. The committee voted to move HB 16-49 to full finance (12 ayes, 0 nos) for further fiscal and policy review.
The next procedural step is consideration by the full Finance Committee, where fiscal impacts and implementation details—including toxicology capacity, criminal penalties and exceptions—will be examined.
