Lawmaker to again seek regulations for kratom products

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A suburban St. Louis lawmaker plans to try again on legislation to regulate a plant grown in Southeast Asia that is sold across Missouri. Republican state Rep. Phil Christofanelli of St. Peters told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he will reintroduce the “Kratom Consumer Protection Act” in the upcoming legislative session after the plan died in the Senate earlier this year. The 2021 bill would have barred the sale of kratom to minors and required sellers to ensure that their kratom products don’t contain dangerous substances. People use kratom for pain relief and treatment of some ailments. The FDA in 2019 discouraged its use because it appeared to have addictive properties.