Is Kratom Legal in North Carolina in 2023?

North Carolina is famous for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park which is the most popular among tourists in the US. It’s also home to Pepsi Cola and Krispy Kreme Doughnut and where the Wright Brothers took their first flight.

Where does North Carolina stand in terms of kratom?

Is Kratom Legal in North Carolina?

Kratom is legal in North Carolina for individuals over the age of 18. There was a bill that intended to ban kratom. But, after various petitions, North Carolina officials amended it by setting an age restriction instead of making it illegal.

There are no regulations on kratom or Mitragyna speciosa on a federal level. Therefore, individual states take it upon them to decide whether they criminalize, regulate, or impose no limitations on the herb.

Efforts to Ban Kratom

In October 2016, a week after Alabama banned kratom, a similar debate began in North Carolina. Two senators sponsored a bill the aim of which was to include kratom in the controlled substances list. It would have made kratom a Schedule I drug just like heroin and outlawed its possession and sales.

Medical examiners had found kratom in the blood of 23 opiate overdose victims over the span of 6 years. This was stated as the main reason for banning kratom. The senator who introduced the legislation expressed concerns about kratom becoming the next epidemic. He likened the rise of its popularity to that of crystal meth and crack cocaine.

Activism to Keep Kratom Leaf Legal

Various kratom supporters indicated that the arguments by the local government were misleading information. Many buy kratom products, particularly red and green vein powder when battling opioid addiction. Mitragyna speciosa leaves have some properties that resemble those of opioids, making them beneficial for substance addicts. However, it is not an opioid, but rather belongs to the coffee plant family.

Therefore, claiming that kratom was the cause of death isn’t actually accurate.

In 2017, the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) registered nearly 50,000 deaths due to opioid overdose. In addition to that, about 70,000 deaths were due to different prescription drug overdoses. The number had risen almost twice over a decade. Meanwhile, the FDA attributes only 44 deaths to kratom. And even those are based on highly questionable data, indicating that the FDA uses kratom data like this to advance its narrative.

The owner of an NC-based business that sold kratom online pointed out that such a move wasn’t going to have beneficial effects. He described it as a knee-jerk reaction and a move to justify the wasteful spending and inefficiencies of the local government.

To counter ban efforts, kratom advocates launched a number of petitions such as this to keep kratom legal in North Carolina.

Kratom supporters from across the globe sent the two senators e-mails about their positive experiences with kratom products. Moreover, the American Kratom Association (AKA) commissioned a toxicology report to prove that exposure to pure kratom can’t be fatal.

Kratom Remains Legal for Individuals Over the Age of 18

As a result, the bill didn’t pass. The State Senate decided to keep kratom legal. However, they set an age limit for those who want to purchase it. As a result, kratom is legal in North Carolina for people who are over 18.

Minors who have kratom in their possession risk being charged with infraction. However, they will not face a felony and it won’t show on their criminal record.

Continuous Concerns about Kratom

While kratom remains legal, it’s unregulated. Some use it as a reason to support the argument for banning kratom. Popular local media has referred to it as “herbal heroin,’ spreading misinformation on the herb.

An instance of an NC kratom vendor being charged with selling unapproved substances has further fueled the anti-kratom narrative. News sources have repeatedly emphasized that the vendor sold kratom. However, the owner ran multiple businesses, including ones selling SARMs.

Such negative media attention indicated the need for kratom laws, more specifically, regulations to guarantee the purity of kratom. The legislation, known as the Kratom Consumer Protection Act or KCPA, is already active in a number of states.

The KCPA provides regulations that ensure that kratom products are free of harmful substances. They also require businesses selling such products to face legal repercussions.

As of now, no such laws are in place in North Carolina.

Where to Buy Kratom in North Carolina?

North Carolina natives and visitors who are over the age of 18 can buy kratom. Kratom powder, capsules, and other products are available in smoke shops and vape stores.

Yet, we advise you that you choose to buy kratom online from a reputable and trustworthy kratom vendor. Thus, you’ll have a higher chance of buying kratom that is high quality, fresh, pure, and comes at a more reasonable price.

If you’ve liked this post, you can also view a detailed U.S. kratom legality map. It can offer more information on whether kratom is legal in your state.