Rhode Island House Bill 5565, and its companion Senate Bill 792. “The Rhode Island Kratom Act” is on the governor’s desk. The bill will legalize and regulate kratom in Rhode Island, which outlawed kratom in 2017.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. John G. Edwards, said, “Kratom, which is used by about 15 million Americans, is being bought out of state and used by Rhode Islanders. Given the wide availability of the substance, we want to make sure that the product is safe, unadulterated and not mixed with other substances.” He also noted, “The bill would also prevent retailers from selling kratom to anyone below the age of 21 and establish fines for those who violate the law.”
In 2024, Governor Dan McKee vetoed a kratom regulation bill. Gov. McKee noted in his 2024 veto letter the lack of adequate funding in the bill to implement and enforce the regulations, the opposition to kratom legalization by the Departments of Health and Revenue and the attorney general’s office, and the lack of clarity on the regulatory power. Lawmakers worked for a year along with the governor to compromise and craft a new bill that addressed both the governor’s and department concerns. The Departments of Health and Revenue and the attorney general’s office have thus far remained neutral on the 2025 bill.
Rhode Island’s kratom ban traces back to May 2017, when the state’s Department of Health added mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine to the state’s Schedule I Controlled Substances list. This happened without public hearings, legislative debate, or advance notice.
The ban came shortly after the DEA’s 2016 announcement of a federal kratom ban, which was later withdrawn due to public backlash. Rhode Island, however, proceeded independently, citing concerns about kratom’s psychoactive effects and its similarity to opioids. The Department of Health labeled it a public health risk, despite the lack of overdose data or a formal legislative process.
The American Kratom Association called the bills passage a “Big Victory” and in a post on X said, “This is tremendous news that will replace the outdated kratom ban with a science-based regulatory framework that puts consumer safety first.” The AKA also noted that the governor is expected to sign the bill.