ALBANY, N.Y. — Legislation aimed at regulating kratom use in New York has passed both the state Senate and Assembly and is now awaiting the governor’s signature. The bills, co-sponsored by Assembly members Mary Beth Walsh and Phil Steck, were introduced following the death of Nick Scribner from kratom use.
Steck, a Democrat from Schenectady, emphasized the importance of labeling kratom as dangerous, citing the Food and Drug Administration’s determination. “The Food and Drug Administration has determined that it is dangerous, and so we want it to be labeled as such,” said Steck.
Kratom, a tropical tree, is often used to self-treat conditions such as pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid use disorder. Its products are frequently labeled as all-natural, a description the new legislation seeks to change. “The problem is that the companies are doing it are putting it in a pill form, distilling it, and then it becomes more powerful,” Steck said, adding that it is not in its all-natural state.
The legislation requires manufacturers or distributors in New York to include a warning label and prohibits kratom products from being labeled as all-natural. Another bill, also passed by the legislature, mandates that individuals must be 21 or older to purchase kratom products in New York.
Steck, who chairs the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, expressed skepticism about making kratom illegal. “A lot of times making things illegal doesn’t solve the problem, as we know,” he said, though he believes controls are necessary.
Cari Scribner, whose son Nick died from kratom use, continues to advocate for regulation. “You know when you lose anyone you love you have two choices. You can take to your bed or you can find a mission and kind of a reason to keep living,” she said.
The Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) praised New York for its legislative efforts, calling the state a “national leader in consumer safety and harm reduction.”
