Guide to Kratom Legal Age in the United States

Kratom is legal in most of the United States. Even so, not everyone can buy it. Kratom legality varies by state. Moreover, there is no standard kratom legal age. So, it’s common for young people to wonder how old you have to be to buy kratom.

Kratom Legality in the United States

There is no federal legislation that would provide straightforward laws on kratom. It is also not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA is interested in making kratom a controlled substance. It doesn’t want to leave kratom legal. It claims that kratom is a drug with no medical use or health benefits. In 2016, it nearly convinced the Drug Enforcement Administration to make kratom a controlled substance.

Many don’t know that the Health and Human Services whose recommendation is necessary to schedule a substance changed its mind. The HHS stated that more research is needed but it doesn’t believe that kratom is a dangerous drug.

Except for select states and areas, kratom is legal without an age limit. But, in most states, there are also no laws that control the quality of kratom products for sale. So, it becomes very easy for dangerous products to reach shoppers.

And it’s not due to kratom itself. Instead, it’s because of what the product may contain apart from the actual kratom powder. This could be:

• Bacteria,
• Heavy metals,
• Synthetic alkaloids,
• Scheduled substances,
• Pesticides,
• And more.

Thus, states must weigh out the potential risks associated with kratom sales.

More states are becoming aware of the issues that come with not regulating kratom sales. As a result, new bills suggesting regulating kratom are popping up across the country. These are the Kratom Consumer Protection Act.

Kratom Consumer Protection Act and the Legal Age to Buy Kratom

The Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) is legislation to regulate kratom. It was an initiative by the American Kratom Association (AKA). The KCPA aims to:

• Regulate kratom products available for purchase,
• Require lab testing and labeling of products that contain kratom,
• Reduce the risk of buying contaminated, adulterated, or otherwise dangerous kratom,
• Establish penalties for not complying with the law.

One of the regulations that the KCPA suggests is a legal age to buy kratom. The standard KCPA wording states that kratom shoppers should be 18 and older. But, each state reviews the legislation on its own. So, they may alter its content, for instance, by setting the age limit to 21.

Even so, there are also states that choose to exclude legal age altogether.

Legal Age to Buy Kratom: How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy Kratom?

As it tends to be the case with many topics on kratom, there is no straightforward answer. The legal age to buy kratom depends on states and locations. Below, you’ll find a list of US states and how old you have to be to buy kratom in them:

• Alabama – kratom is a controlled substance. So, you cannot buy it,
• Alaska – there are no age limits to buy kratom,
• Arizona – you must be 18 to buy kratom in Arizona,
• Arkansas – due to a kratom ban you can’t buy or sell kratom in Arkansas,
• California – in San Diego City (but not San Diego County), there’s a ban on kratom. No restrictions apply in the rest of California,
• Colorado – Parker Town and Monument Town forbid kratom sales. Elsewhere in Colorado, there are restrictions,
• Connecticut – Connecticut has a pending KCPA bill. Nonetheless, it does not mention an age limit,
• Delaware – no restrictions to buy kratom in Delaware apply,
• Florida – Sarasota County prohibits kratom sales. No restrictions apply in the rest of Florida,
• Georgia – you must be 18 to buy kratom in Georgia,
• Hawaii – there is no legal age to buy kratom,
• Idaho – there are no restrictions to buy kratom,
• Illinois – Jerseyville City outlawed kratom. Apart from Jerseyville, kratom remains legal. You have to be at least 18 years old to purchase kratom in Illinois,
• Indiana – kratom is illegal. Thus, no one can buy it,
• Iowa – there are no restrictions for kratom sales,
• Kansas – there is no age limit to buy kratom. But, there is a pending bill to make kratom sales illegal to everyone under 18,
• Kentucky – there is a pending KCPA bill in Kentucky. Yet, it does not include a legal age.
• Louisiana – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions,
• Maine – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions,
• Maryland – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions,
• Massachusetts – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions,
• Michigan – kratom is legal. There are no restrictions to buy kratom,
• Minnesota – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions to buy it,
• Mississippi – kratom is banned in several counties and towns in Mississippi. Yet, it’s legal and unregulated in the rest of the state,
• Missouri – kratom is legal. Additionally, there is a pending bill to ban kratom for those under the age of 18,
• Montana – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions to buy kratom,
• Nebraska – kratom is legal. Nonetheless, there are no restrictions to buy it,
• Nevada – kratom available to people who are over the age of 18,
• New Hampshire – except for Franklin City, kratom is legal but unregulated for those over 18,
• New Jersey – kratom is legal. No restrictions apply,
• New Mexico – kratom is legal. But, there are no legal age requirements,
• New York – kratom is legal, and no restrictions apply,
• North Carolina – kratom is legal for individuals older than 18,
• North Dakota – kratom is legal, and no restrictions apply,
• Ohio – kratom is legal, but there is a pending bill to regulate it. Still, no age limits appear in the bill,
• Oklahoma – kratom is legal for individuals over the age of 18,
• Oregon – a pending bill may make it legal for only persons over the age of 21 to buy kratom in Oregon,
• Pennsylvania – kratom is legal, and no restrictions apply,
• Rhode Island – kratom is banned. But, there is a pending bill that may reverse the ban and make kratom legal for those over the age of 18,
• South Carolina – kratom is legal, no restrictions apply,
• South Dakota – kratom is illegal for individuals under the age of 21,
• Tennessee – kratom in plain leaf form is legal for individuals over 21,
• Texas – kratom is legal. Besides that, there is a pending bill to make it legal for those over the age of 18,
• Utah – Utah was the first state to pass the KCPA. Kratom is legal for individuals over 21,
• Vermont – kratom is illegal. Nevertheless, a pending bill may reverse the ban. It may also make kratom legal for those over 18,
• Virginia – kratom is legal, no restrictions apply.
• Washington – kratom is legal, no restrictions apply.
• West Virginia – kratom is legal, no restrictions apply.
• Wisconsin – kratom is banned,
• Wyoming – kratom is legal, and there are no restrictions.

Do You Still Have to Be 18 or 21 to Buy Kratom if Your State Does Not Regulate Kratom?

The short answer is yes. You’ll also notice that most vendors have age limits. Online vendors that specialize in kratom only allow individuals over 18 or 21 to buy kratom. Local places that sell kratom to the public also tend to have age restrictions. They aim to prevent minors from buying kratom, though, this may not apply to all vendors.

Thus, this alone is not enough. Regulating kratom sales and manufacturing ensures that buyers can only access pure products. Having official legal age limits is essential as well. This can reduce the risk of irresponsible buying and application.

Are you older than 18 or 21? Are there no state laws that would prevent you from buying kratom? If so, feel free to check out our kratom products. All our kratom comes straight from reputable farmers in Indonesia. It also undergoes thorough lab testing to follow the Nevada KCPA.