Kratom News and Ban Updates
Update: Council Votes to Ban Kratom Sales In Ascension Parish, Louisiana
Earlier this August 2022, kratom, a Southeast Asian plant, became the topic of debate in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Although the American Kratom Association (AKA) was able to motivate kratom supporters to fight against myths from the Sheriff’s office, share their personal stories, and try to educate Council members, nine Council members unanimously voted to ban the sales of kratom in Ascension Parish—but not its possession or use.
For those pushing to educate lawmakers on kratom and have any kratom-containing products regulated for consumer safety, this news comes as a disappointment. However, the decision to ban only kratom sales in Ascension Parish and not possession or use is a better alternative to the discussed alternative of criminalizing all kratom consumers in the parish.
That being said, the decision is a frustrating one for many, especially given the misinformation presented by the Sheriff’s office and rehab centers.
What the New Decision Entails
Under the new ordinance, any vendors, retailers, or individuals selling kratom could lose their business license for selling kratom. Further penalties include:
- First-time offense: a fine of up to $500 and/or a jail sentence of up to six months
- Second offense: a fine of up to $1,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to six months
- Third offense: A fine of up to $1,500 and/or a jail sentence of up to six months
The new laws in Ascension Parish mean that any kratom consumers in the county will have to buy kratom elsewhere, and any kratom-selling business will have to remove kratom from their shelves. So, if you are traveling nationally with kratom in your car and get pulled over in Ascension Parish, you won’t have to worry about any consequences for possessing kratom.
While these penalties aren’t embraced by everyone in Ascension parish, they are potentially far less harsh than they would have been had the parish not provided three different opportunities for the public to share their views, giving dozens of speakers a voice for their side.
What You Can Do to Help Stop More Local Bans
One of the most frustrating parts about the Ascension Parish Council’s decision is that members had admitted to not knowing much about kratom and felt like they were making a hasty decision. According to the American Kratom Association, The council members pushing for the ban of sale and severe criminal punishments were clearly influenced by FDA misinformation and private addiction recovery centers.
To help ensure that other decision-makers don’t make hasty decisions based on misinformation and fear-mongering, you can send a link to kratomanswers.org along with why you feel your state, parish, or county should adopt a kratom consumer protection act to regulate it. You can share this link with all of your city council members and state reps, or share it wherever needed to raise awareness. The website was created by AKA to help answer questions about kratom in a clear and factual manner.
I was on heroin for 15 years, after being clean a year kratum is what’s kept me clean almost 4 years now, I got my kids back same job, etc just thank you
I’m a former law enforcement officer of 25yrs. I had numerous physical issues, pain issues. I hate to admit it…but alcohol cost me my career and I’m sure my job contributed to the physical issues. Eventually I needed pain meds to manage the pain. This went round and round for a long time. I came to a point that I found a relationship (a man) that brought to my life the love, connections, sense of humor, etc. that I seemed to be looking for. I stopped drinking, but eventually it got tougher. I was introduced to kratom and it got me thru the craving for alcohol and made the physical pain survivable. I’m so grateful to kratom. Not once did I get high or have any adverse effects. My experience with kratom has been nothing but beneficial to me.
I lost my insurance during the covid lay off time. I have a pain doctor that prescribed opioids. I couldn’t get my pain meds anymore bc i didnt have insurance, and a friend told me about Kratom. I did some research, and it works on opioid receptors without being an opioid. Kat Williams once said, “It’s a plant, it just grows like that…”. I don’t need to pay high insurance anymore and high doctor visit costs. Coffee and alcohol can be very addictive, but no one is banning that. Anything can be taken in excess. The bible says something like “in their drunkenness they were wicked”.