Hochul signs bills further regulating sale of products containing kratom

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a pair of bills Monday strengthening restrictions on the sale of the herbal stimulant kratom, including adding warning labels and raising the age to purchase to 21.

Hochul signed the bill alongside  its sponsors  in Albany and the mother of a Saratoga County man who died from intoxication from the herbal product. The new legislation bans the sale of kratom to anyone under the age of 21 and adds fines of up to $500 for each offense to store owners.

Another bill will require any kratom-laden products to list warnings that it may be addictive and may have poor interactions with other drugs and medication. Products must also list all ingredients.

"We're not talking about an outright ban, but if a product carries real risk, don't you think people should know about it? Should you at least be able to make that decision?" Hochul said. "I'm signing balanced legislation, responsible approach to freedom of regulation through two straightforward measures lining with basically how we already regulate tobacco and vaping products, cannabis and alcohol."

The bottled or powdered substance is commonly sold at convenience stores and smoke shops, often with few regulations, state lawmakers said. In 2016, Suffolk County raised the age to 21 to buy kratom, but in Nassau County and statewide, the sales were open to everyone, including teens.

The Southeast Asian herbal product is often taken for an energy boost and has been billed  to alleviate  pain, anxiety and ease withdrawal from opioids, but Hochul and others said the drug is nearly as addictive as other opioids.  

The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned about the effects of kratom, particularly the addictive properties of the concentrated 7-OH byproduct from kratom, described as "more addictive than morphine," in a July report.

"The FDA has warned consumers not to use kratom because of the risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder. In rare cases, deaths have been associated with kratom use," the FDA said in Dec. 2 report. "However, in these cases, kratom was usually used in combination with other drugs, and the contribution of kratom in the deaths is unclear."

Hochul said kratom was traced last year to 100 deaths in New York. Nearly 1% of adolescents nationwide, or 2 million teens, have reported using it, Hochul said.

"That’s 2 million people who have used it, including tens of thousands of New Yorkers, and young people who aren't even aware there's something dangerous about this substance," Hochul said.

Parents who have lost their children due to the effects of kratom and former users from Long Island and across the state have raised the warning signs of kratom to lawmakers and pushed for stronger legislation.

Hochul signed the bill beside Cari Scribner, of upstate Ballston Spa, whose 27-year-old son, Nick, died in November 2024 from respiratory arrest caused by kratom intoxication, officials said.

Scribner said her son began taking kratom as a health supplement to give him more energy and treat his chronic insomnia. She said he hoped to boost his immune system, but he developed an addiction to the supplement within two months.

"We knew he was on to a great start for a young man, and then kratom took his life — the side effects took his life," Scribner said. "When you lose a child, you have, or any loved one, you have a choice of what you can do."

Scribner said she picketed local officials and fought for the legislation approved Monday. She said the herbal drug was largely unregulated. She said she even found it sold in strawberry seltzer cans marked with a unicorn and the ingredients in fine print.

"I feel there will be fewer Nick Scribners who succumb to this drug, and more people engaging in the ripple effect that something like this has," Scribner said. "We don't need to lose more young people to this. The word has spread, and I am very grateful."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.