Levittown-Area Lawmaker Wants To Regulate ‘Opioid-Mimicking’ Plant

Amid a rise in kratom-related emergencies, Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced new legislation that would regulate the opioid mimicking plant.

Democratic State Rep. Jim Prokopiak, of Falls Township, and Democratic State Rep. Emily Kinkead, of Allegheny County, are seeking to curb the use of kratom and protect children and young adults.

Kratom is a native Southeast Asian plant that is thought to manage pain, alleviate depression or anxiety, and reduce fatigue. The natural plant can be ingested in many ways, such as in teas, or in liquid or powder form. The leaves can also be smoked or chewed.

While many people use kratom for its positive benefits, there are also negative side effects that have resulted in users suffering, according to officials.

The psychoactive effects are similar to what one experiences when using opioids, which has caused many to claim that kratom is a mimic of opioids.

Newer synthetic kratom products, which are known as 7-OH, have become more harmful and addictive, lawmakers said.

Despite kratom’s similarity to opioids, the plant is readily available throughout Pennsylvania.

The federal government does not regulated kratom, but the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has designated the plant as a “drug and chemical of concern.”

Recently, police departments, emergency rooms, and poison control centers have seen an uptick in kratom-related emergencies—and not just in Pennsylvania.

Kratom has become an issue across the United States, and many local communities are looking to combat the easy access to the plant.

Pennsylvania House Bill 2058, which was introduced late last year by Kinkead and co-sponsored by Prokopiak, is very similar to Utah’s successful kratom regulation law.

If passed, this bill would prohibit the sale or distribution of kratom products to any person under 21 years of age. Synthetic kratom products would be completely prohibited from sale or distribution.

The bill would also ensure that kratom products list all ingredients. Currently, many kratom products do not disclose some of its harmful additives.

The bill would completely ban kratom from being marketed to appeal to children.

Kinkead and Prokopiak have focused on how easy it is for children and young adults to buy kratom in Pennsylvania.

“This is about consumer safety and responsible regulation,” Prokopiak said. “Right now, Pennsylvanians can walk into a gas station or smoke shop and buy a product that mimics opioids—with no age limit, no labeling, and no oversight. That’s unacceptable. This bill is a commonsense step to make sure these products are safely packaged and kept out of the hands
of children.”

Kinkead pointed out that kratom’s lack of any regulation has gone on for too long.

“Pennsylvania’s failure to act to regulate kratom when it first showed up in convenience stores and other shops easily accessible to children is a dereliction of duty,” Kinkead said. “Without regulation, consumers don’t know exactly what they’re putting in their body, unknowingly ingesting toxic additives or synthetic compounds that pose serious health risks. This legislation is about protecting public safety, creating basic safeguards for our children, and ensuring transparency for Pennsylvanians who purchase kratom.”