Is Kratom Legal in West Virginia in 2023?

West Virginia, or the Mountain State, is the only state to completely lie in a mountain range. Yet, that isn’t the only curious fact about it.

The New River, which runs through West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina, is ironically considered the second oldest river in the world. (The Nile is the oldest one, if you’re wondering.) And the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County is the longest steel-span bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

West Virginia’s youngest governor is also its oldest. Cecil Underwood, a former school teacher, broke the record twice. He became the state’s governor at the age of 34. This made him the youngest governor of West Virginia. Then, he ran for governor again 40 years later at the age of 74 and won, becoming the oldest governor in state history.

West Virginia is also the state where the Mother’s Day celebrations first started.

But you’d like to know about kratom, right? So, let’s find out whether kratom is legal in West Virginia.

Is Kratom Legal in West Virginia?

Kratom is legal in West Virginia. A bill to ban kratom in West Virginia was proposed, but it eventually died in committee.

In 2018, the West Virginia Senate reviewed a bill that intended to include kratom in the controlled substances list. It proposed listing mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the two primary kratom alkaloids, under opiates in Schedule I of the controlled substances.

This would have been inaccurate. Kratom isn’t an opioid drug. Many don’t know that the tree is a member of the coffee plant family. Its leaves do indeed possess some opioid-like properties. But, it does not bind with opioid receptors in the human brain in the exact same way as opioids do.

Exposure to kratom causes very low respiratory depression. It isn’t nearly as high as that of opioids and doesn’t pose lethal risks. It’s also no more addicting than coffee.

All these were scientifically proven by a group of researchers in a kratom 8-factor analysis.

Upon reviewing the bill, the authorities removed many of the substances from it. The bill eventually died altogether. As a result, kratom products remain legal in the state.

This, however, doesn’t guarantee that no further kratom ban efforts will take ever take place. States often witness repeated bills that intend to schedule kratom, and bans can also happen at the city and county levels. It’s vital to follow local news in order to take any necessary action to ensure kratom doesn’t become illegal.

Moreover, there are no regulations on kratom products in West Virginia. Bad players often use this as an opportunity to reap profits from selling low-quality or impure products. This increases the likelihood of people becoming exposed to contaminants and adulterants.

American Kratom Association and Kratom Consumer Protection Act

The FDA refuses to regulate kratom in the United States and doesn’t want it to remain legal. In fact, it uses any chance to spread bad press about the plant. So, the American Kratom Association (AKA) is taking matters into its own hands.

The Virginia-based non-profit activist group actively works to ensure kratom is legal and proper regulations on it are in place.

To accomplish it, the AKA has developed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). It uses donation money to operate and lobby the KCPA to individual states. Each state can modify its content to best meet its goals. However, most commonly, the legislation guarantees that:

• Buyers have safe access to pure and high-quality kratom.
• Merchants can only sell kratom to people who are older than 18 or 21.
• States ban products that include synthetic alkaloids, scheduled drugs, or other dangerous substances.
• Those who disobey the law face criminal punishment, such as fines or imprisonment.

Various parts of the United States have already passed the legislation, and the AKA continuously discusses it with other states. While West Virginia has not yet had bills regarding regulations on kratom, it’s just a matter of time.

If you’d like to help the AKA keep kratom legal in your state, you can donate to support its actions. The organization also has resources available if you’d like to become a kratom advocate.

Where to Buy Kratom in West Virginia?

A number of smoke shops across West Virginia allow its natives and visitors to purchase kratom powder and other products. However, while legal, kratom is unregulated. This poses a variety of risks to people who shop for kratom in local stores.

Therefore, we strongly advise that buy kratom online from trusted kratom vendors. Thus, you have a much higher chance of buying pure, lab-tested kratom that also comes at more reasonable prices. Especially if merchants import their kratom directly from the source.

Trusted kratom-specific vendors also are more knowledgeable about kratom as they fully specialize in it. You can also select merchants that operate from states that have already passed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. This can limit the issues you can face

If you found this post useful, check out our detailed U.S. kratom legality map and information on kratom legality in the U.S. states.