Effective July 1, Mississippi is now charging a 25% tax on all purchases on kratom. House Bill 1896, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Horan (R) and signed by Governor Tate Reeves (R) in April, mandates a 25% excise tax on the list price of all kratom products.
An excise tax is a tax levied on specific goods, services, or activities—often at the time of manufacture, sale, or consumption. Unlike general sales taxes, which apply broadly, excise taxes target particular items and are typically built into the price. This ultimately falls on the consumer to pay more for the product.
The Mississippi Department of Revenue Sales and Tax Bureau issued a press release on July 14 reminding vendors and manufacturer of the new kratom tax:
“Manufacturers and wholesalers shall report and pay the excise tax on kratom products on the Tobacco Excise Tax return due on the 20th day of the month following the month the kratom product is sold or distributed. The excise tax paid by a manufacturer or wholesaler shall be added to the selling price of the kratom product to be recovered by the ultimate consumer or user.”
The American Kratom Association (AKA) has voiced support for the bill. In an email dated April 2, the AKA stated, “Mississippi has had lots of ongoing proposed kratom legislation this session, most of it bad, but [HB1896] has passed the KCPA Conference Report. The Botanics for Better Health and Wellness group has worked hard with the AKA team in Mississippi to protect consumers and help pass this legislation.”
There have been several failed attempts to ban kratom statewide in Mississippi. In 2018, there were two kratom ban bills that failed. After those two unsuccessful tries, legislators went on to fight kratom city by city and county by county.
In 2019, the Lowndes County Crime and Addiction Task Force—formed by the Lowndes County Community Foundation—led an aggressive campaign to ban kratom across Mississippi. The task force, including figures like Captain Tammy Reynolds and Lieutenant Eddie Hawkins of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, traveled extensively throughout Northeast Mississippi, lobbying city and county officials to pass ordinances outlawing kratom. In many cases, they not only advocated for the bans but also drafted the ordinances themselves, often pushing them through without public hearings or proper notice.
Their messaging relied heavily on unsubstantiated and exaggerated claims, such as kratom being “13 times more powerful than morphine” and causing $800-a-week addictions. Hawkins even cited a woman who allegedly owed $4,800 to a convenience store for kratom purchases—claims that were widely criticized as implausible and lacking evidence. The task force’s tactics included intimidating citizens, with reports of Hawkins staring down a kratom advocate and recording her license plate number after a public meeting.
State senator, Chuck Younger, expressed his intentions to introduce kratom bans into the legislature. One bill requested the Mississippi State Medical Association to schedule Kratom as a Schedule I drug, banning it statewide. This bill ultimately failed.
Ban bills were also proposed in 2022 and 2023, all failed, along with versions of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. All of the bills failed.
In 2025, along with the excise tax, House Bill 1077 passed that restricted kratom sales to those under 21 years of age. Laws like this are generally supported by the kratom industry and advocates.
As of 2025, kratom is banned in at least 12 counties and 28 cities across Mississippi. State laws allow counties and towns to pass their own restrictions.