AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4; Title 43 and Title 57, relative to Kratom.
HB2594 creates the “Tennessee Kratom Consumer Protection Act” and establishes a detailed regulatory framework for kratom products sold in Tennessee. The bill defines key terms such as kratom extract, kratom product, processor, retailer, synthetic alkaloid, and synthetic kratom-like compound, and then sets product standards intended to limit adulteration, contamination, and youth access. It prohibits the sale of kratom products with excessive residual solvents, synthetic or chemically manipulated alkaloids, or 7-hydroxymitragynine above specified thresholds, and requires third-party certificates of analysis showing compliance with contaminant limits for salmonella, E. coli, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
The bill would amend Tennessee criminal and regulatory law in Titles 39, 43, and 57, and it also deletes a provision in Section 39-17-452(a)(3). It makes certain conduct involving kratom a criminal offense, including sales to persons under 21, possession by persons under 21, and unlicensed preparation or sale by others, with misdemeanor penalties and fine-only penalties for certain processor or retailer violations. It also gives the Alcoholic Beverage Commission enforcement authority to demand certificates of analysis, require updated testing after credible complaints, and issue stop-sale orders if compliance documentation or testing payments are not provided.
Based on the bill text and the absence of committee transcripts or recorded votes, the measure appears to be framed as a consumer protection and public safety bill rather than a prohibition on kratom. Its requirements suggest an effort to allow kratom sales while imposing testing, labeling, and age-restriction rules. The overall tone of the legislation is regulatory and precautionary, emphasizing product safety, transparency, and warnings to consumers.
The main points of contention likely concern whether kratom should be regulated as a consumer product or treated more restrictively because of its psychoactive and habit-forming potential. The bill’s limits on 7-hydroxymitragynine, bans on synthetic or chemically altered kratom compounds, and age-21 restrictions may draw concern from retailers and consumers who view kratom as a lawful herbal product. On the other hand, public health advocates and regulators would likely support the testing, labeling, and stop-sale provisions as necessary to prevent contamination, adulteration, and youth access.