Bad Idea on the Bayou: Louisiana Lawmakers Consider Legalizing Kratom

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Lawmakers in Louisiana are considering a bill to allow the sale of the drug kratom under certain circumstances.

Kratom is a dangerous drug that is often marketed as a dietary supplement. The federal government has advised public officials to prohibit kratom, and states like Arkansas have done so.

The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

Louisiana House Bill 253 would generally let people age 21 or older buy and use kratom. The proposal is similar to a very bad bill that Arkansas lawmakers soundly defeated in April.

The powerful interests who benefit from the sale of kratom generally do not make the public health or safety of everyday people a high priority. That’s why policymakers and public health officials need to protect families by prohibiting these dangerous drugs rather than simply regulating them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Lawmakers Kill Bill to Legalize Kratom in Arkansas

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On Thursday the House Public Health Committee gave a “Do Not Pass” to a bad bill that would legalize kratom in Arkansas.

“Do Not Pass” means the committee voted not to pass the bill. Committee Chair Rep. Jeff Wardlaw described the motion as a way to “kill a bill.”

S.B. 534 by Sen. Greg Leding (D — Fayetteville) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R — Paris) is a bad bill that would legalize kratom and dangerous extracts made from kratom in Arkansas.

The federal government has advised states to prohibit kratom, and the Arkansas Health Department has done so.

The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

S.B. 534 would legalize kratom for sale all over Arkansas. The bill is backed by powerful interests who want to legalize dangerous drugs without any regard for the health or welfare of Arkansans.

During Thursday’s committee meeting, lawmakers heard testimony about how kratom’s dangers, and Rep. Zack Gramlich (R — Fort Smith) made a motion “Do Not Pass” against S.B. 534.

During his comments against the bill, Rep. Gramlich described a seventh-grader who was caught using kratom and trying to sell it to other students at a school in his district a few years ago.

Following discussion, the committee members voted to give S.B. 534 a motion of “Do Not Pass.”

The Arkansas House Public Health Committee did the right thing by soundly rejecting S.B. 534. Kratom is a dangerous drug, and our state has worked hard to protect people from it. We appreciate Rep. Gramlich opposing this bad bill, and we appreciate the committee choosing not to pass it.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas A.G. Launches “One Pill Can Kill” Initiative to Combat Fentanyl on Campus

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The following is a press release from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin:

October 29, 2024

Griffin: ‘The training and resources offered by the One Pill Can Kill initiative will save lives’

FAYETTEVILLE – Attorney General Tim Griffin today at the University of Arkansas issued the following statement announcing “One Pill Can Kill,” an initiative to educate college students about the dangers of fentanyl and give them tools to combat it:

“Fentanyl is a scourge on our society, and it disproportionately impacts our young people. One Pill Can Kill is a multifaceted initiative to help protect college students from the risk of opioid overdose.

“As part of the initiative, student leaders are being educated about the dangers of fentanyl, and they’re being trained to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose, how to administer naloxone to treat someone experiencing an overdose, and how to use testing strips to ensure that medications or beverages have not been laced with fentanyl.

“Using state opioid settlement funds, I am providing harm-prevention kits—which include fentanyl testing strips, a naloxone ‘vending machine,’ and funding the student training.

“This initiative will be statewide, but we are starting at the University of Arkansas campus here in Fayetteville. I am extremely grateful for the cooperation and support of Chancellor Charles Robinson and university staff. The training and resources offered by the One Pill Can Kill initiative will save lives.”

University of Arkansas Chancellor Charles F. Robinson provided this statement:

“Fentanyl overdoses are claiming the lives of far too many young Arkansans, and with the support of Attorney General Griffin, the University of Arkansas is fully committed to educating and equipping our community to confront this crisis head-on. As this initiative expands to colleges and universities throughout the state, its impact will multiply, offering life-saving knowledge and tools to thousands more young Arkansans.”

To learn more about Arkansas’s One Pill Can Kill initiative, visit www.arkansasag.gov/OnePillCanKill.

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