By Melanie Dallas, LPC

Earlier this year I attended a legislative preview discussion at the Cartersville-Bartow Chamber with several Georgia lawmakers; it was one of several such meetings sponsored annually by local chambers of commerce in the lead-up to the legislative session. But this one stood out – because during closing remarks, one of our legislators mentioned kratom.

If you have never heard of kratom – and several people attending the event had not – it’s likely that you will in the near future. You will likely hear both good and bad things, perhaps learn that it is illegal in some states, and understand some of the risks of kratom use. So, I wanted to share some basic facts about this substance.

Kratom refers to a type of evergreen tree native to southeast Asia, and to the products derived from its leaves. Kratom is typically sold in powdered form, in pill capsules filled with the powder, and in liquid form, over-the-counter in vape shops and convenience stores.

Kratom is marketed as a natural supplement that can provide pain relief, relaxation, energy, mental focus and more. It is also purported to provide relief for individuals experiencing withdrawal from opioids – which is perhaps ironic since the active compounds in kratom bind to the same receptors in the brain as opioids do. It is very important to note there are several FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorder that are proven to be safe and effective; kratom is not among them.

That is one of the most important things to know about kratom: it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for any recognized medical use. This does not mean that kratom – or any supplement for that matter – is illegal, but that its claimed effects and benefits have not been scientifically validated through rigorous clinical trials (as required for FDA approval, like medications prescribed by a healthcare provider).

It also means there is no clinically-verified safe dosage of kratom – so if someone using it likes the effects he or she might be experiencing, they may be tempted to take more. How much is too much? We don’t know – and that can be a problem. We do know kratom in higher doses can cause nausea, seizures, liver toxicity and addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that rare but serious effects have been reported in people who use kratom, including psychiatric, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.

Although kratom remains legal for adults in Georgia, the General Assembly last year put several important restrictions in place through the Georgia Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). As of January 1, 2025, a person must be at least 21 to purchase kratom products in Georgia. Packaging must include a list of ingredients, the concentrations of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (the identified psycho-active compounds in kratom) which are both limited by the law, and a warning that the product is not FDA-approved.

The KCPA also bans the sale of synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (known as 7-OH), which is often concentrated into liquids, tablets and sometimes gummies. Nationally, the FDA is working to ban concentrated synthetic 7-OH – which it likens to an illegal opioid due to its potential for abuse and addiction – under the Controlled Substances Act.

Given all of these facts, you might ask why kratom remains legal in Georgia. It is a valid question. Seven U.S. states have already banned it completely – including our neighbor to the west, Alabama, where it has been illegal since 2016. If you believe kratom should be banned in Georgia too, I would encourage you to contact your legislator.

There are FDA-approved medications to treat all of the conditions kratom purports to remedy – anxiety, lethargy, pain, opioid withdrawal, and many others. But if you are experiencing any of these, you are much more likely to find a solution from a healthcare provider than at a vape shop.

Melanie Dallas is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, which provides treatment and recovery services for individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in a 13-county region of northwest Georgia that includes Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk and Whitfield counties.