In another stunning turn of events similar to Connecticut, an amendment has been added to a North Carolina hemp regulation bill that will ban kratom.
The bill, House Bill 328: “Regulate Hemp-Derived Consumables”, was introduced in March and initially would have prohibited the sale of hemp products to minors and placed additional regulations on the sale of hemp products. On June 17, however, the senate added an amendment to classify kratom as a Schedule VI controlled substance.
In North Carolina, Schedule VI substances—like marijuana and hashish—cannot be legally sold for recreational use. These substances are classified as having no accepted medical use but a low potential for abuse under § 90‑94 of the North Carolina General Statutes.
However, there are a few important exceptions. If a prescription drug containing a Schedule VI substance is approved by the FDA and rescheduled federally, it may be legally distributed in North Carolina—unless the state’s Commission objects. Hemp-derived products with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight are excluded from Schedule VI and can be legally sold under both state and federal law. There is no medicinal or recreational cannabis program in North Carolina.
Therefore, kratom will NOT be legally available for purchase starting December 1, 2025 if H328 becomes law.
Possession penalties for Schedule VI substances in North Carolina are relatively less severe compared to higher schedules. For instance, a first offense for simple possession is typically a Class 3 misdemeanor, which may result in a fine or suspended sentence.
A kratom regulation bill that would ban the sale of kratom to minors is also in the NC house, H468. Unlike H328 (the hemp bill with the kratom ban amendment), H468 has not yet been up for a vote in the house.
H328 has been re-referred to the Senate Finance Committee. It still has to pass through the Judiciary Committee and Rules and Operations Committee before going up for a vote in the Senate.
For 2025, the North Carolina General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on July 31.
I have been taking Kratom responsibly for 6 years and it has given me my life back!!!It Helps a lot of people, please don’t ban it.People should have a choice to take a natural plant instead of pharmaceuticals..If you are going to ban something ban the synthetic Kratom products- they are not the same as natural Kratom…Please consider to regulate Kratom instead of an all out ban!!!Kratom Consumer Protection Act, please consider it instead.Thank you
My Kratom journey🌿💜
I have been using Kratom for the last 8yrs after being on pain medication for 30yrs anxiety and depression meds for 10. I have degenerative and cervical disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated and bulging disc, bone spurs on the spine, which has given me scoliosis as an adult , fibromyalgia, trigeminal neuralgia aka suicide disease, basically I live with 10/20 of the most painful conditions to live with and many nore other chronic pain conditions.
I lost my mother to the pain clinic and big pharmas drugs in April 2013…She didn’t abuse them, she took less than what she was prescribed, but tramadol and morphine took her life. After losing my parents 7 months apart and seen what the struggled with medication wise per Dr’s orders and how it destroyed them…I vowed to live a holistic as possible life style. I just recently came off my blood pressure medication as well. In 8yrs I haven’t had to consume over 50,000 pills.
I get yearly blood work, as well as yearly ultra sounds on my organs. I have improved so much and all under my Dr’s care with tapering off off my medications…. Dr. Chris McCurdy at Florida state university is doing a study on Kratom, there is a book Kratom is medicine written by a Dr, as well as a leaf of life documentary as well as 2 new documentaries in the making. Kratom has given me my life back as I’m disabled and pain management for life. My dose in 8yrs hasn’t increased, I’ve taken days to a full month off and no harsh withdrawls or side effects.. Kratom is safe, follow the science take a moment to read the findings on many Dr’s studies as well as John Hopkins University and their study. You’ll find kratom to be just as safe as the coffee ypu drink and the air you breathe
Kratom has given me my life back, I’m not stuck in bed daily. I am not impaired by it. Kratom is safe and has been used for centuries in south east Asia.
I believe in holding vendors responsible for labeling, testing and proper facilities. And keeping legality of the plant so it is accessible to the many many hundred of thousands of folks who utilize kratom. Banning kratom wouldn’t help,but make it much worse for an already struggling world with drugs, alcohol and prescription medications. Banning kratom would make such a negative impact on many lives.
Thank you for your time
Please do not ban Kratom. I’m a 61 year old woman whose been dealing with sever chronic fatigue for many years. Kratom has given me my life back, safely and without the dangerous side effects of prescription drugs. A ban would only criminalize people like me who deal with various ailments that are just trying to live our lives. Natural Kratom is very safe. Please don’t listen to misinformation, listen to the scientific facts that you can easily obtain from the American Kratom Association.