Oregon Governor Plans to Veto Kratom Consumer Protection Bill

On August 1st, 2021, Oregon State Governor Kate Brown announced her intention to veto House Bill 2646, otherwise known as the Oregon Kratom Consumer Protection Act.

Oregon state legislators introduced the bill just several months ago. It aimed to protect Oregon kratom consumers by requiring Oregon kratom vendors to register with the state. The bill would also prohibit kratom products containing non-kratom substances, harmful contaminants, or unnatural levels of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Currently, House Bill 2646 is awaiting Governor Brown’s signature. But now, without it, the bill won’t become law.

According to Governor Brown, her veto decision is motivated by regulatory and safety concerns. “Given there is currently no FDA-approved use for this product and there continues to be concern about the impacts of its use, I would entertain further legislation to limit youth access without the state agency regulatory function included in this bill,” she said.

But Brown isn’t just allowing the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inform her legislative decisions in Oregon: She also thinks that the FDA should regulate kratom nationwide — a government agency that has previously halted kratom importation and pursued a federal ban. A newsroom notice on Oregon’s official government website reads “Governor Brown believes that the federal Food and Drug Administration is the appropriate regulatory body to oversee the importation and use of this product.”

Nonetheless, it’s unlikely that House Bill 2646 will be Oregon’s last kratom-related bill. More updates are expected to follow.