Kratom Rules Clear the House
Kratom comes from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree related to coffee and is sold here as powders, capsules and drinks. At low doses it acts like a stimulant; at higher doses it has opioid-like effects, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the FDA hasn't approved it for any medical use. The state House voted unanimously Monday for House Bill 2657, from Rep. Bridget Kosierowski (D-Lackawanna), which would set a 21-and-over age limit for kratom, limit sales to natural kratom products such as dried leaf or leaf powder (capsules allowed), ban synthetic compounds including high-potency 7-OH products, require child-resistant packaging and warning labels, register vendors with the state and add a 12% tax to pay for enforcement. Its penalties target sellers and manufacturers who break the rules, not adults buying legal kratom. Locally, the issue isn't new: as we reported in May, when Stroudsburg Borough Council took up vape shops, Erica McCabe, then council vice president, raised concerns about kratom sales to underage customers. The bill now goes to the Senate, which is running out of session days.
