Florida House Approves Kratom Regulation Bill.
Underage sales of kratom would be punishable by an up to $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Florida is closer than ever to adding regulations for the sale of kratom, a consumable plant with opioid- and stimulant-like effects. The House voted 114-0 for a bill ( HB 179 ) titled the “Kratom Consumer Protection Act.” The measure would define kratom products in state statutes for the first time and limit sales of kratom products to people 21 and older. Violating that restriction would result in a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by an up to $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Pensacola Republican Rep. Alex Andrade, the bill’s sponsor, had little to say about his measure, a far narrower version of legislation he and Sarasota Republican Sen. Joe Gruters unsuccessfully carried during the 2022 Legislative Session. Both refiled the measure this year, but Andrade has since pared his version down to only define and restrict sales of the product. “We really don’t have much infor...