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With kratom now mainstream in the U.S., lawmakers increasingly have the plant in their sights. But that isn’t necessarily a bad negative, with some states choosing regulation over prohibition. Is kratom legal in Michigan? Let’s find out.
Kratom is legal in Michigan as of February 2023. There have been bills to ban the substance, but all efforts have proven fruitless. Similarly, plans to pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act in the Great Lake State have also come to nothing.
Curious to learn more about the history of kratom’s legal status in Michigan? Intrigued about where the state’s kratom market might be headed next? Well, you are in the right place!
Is Kratom Legal in Michigan?
Kratom is legal in Michigan by virtue of not being a controlled substance. Like the federal government, the state has a law restricting access to various substances. Since kratom doesn’t appear, it is legal to buy, sell, possess, and use in Michigan!
In addition, kratom is legal in every Michigan city, county, town, and village. This isn’t the case everywhere, but thankfully Michiganders are spared any confusing and conflicting kratom laws.
Keep in mind that kratom is banned in Indiana and Wisconsin, two states that border Michigan. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t a resident of these states. If you get caught with kratom there, you will be subject to that state's law like anybody else.
History of Kratom Law in Michigan
The right to legal kratom has not always been a given in Michigan. There have been two notable efforts to make the plant a controlled substance. While neither passed, they gave us a glimpse of what some Michigan legislators think about kratom.
2014 Ban Attempt Michigan House Bill 5707 (MI HB5707)
Rep. George Darany (D) introduced MI HB5707 to the Michigan House of Representatives in July 2014. The bill proposed classifying kratom as a Schedule V substance under the state’s controlled substances legislation.
The law considers Schedule V substances as having medicinal value and low abuse potential. The Schedule V category is much less restrictive than Schedule I (which is how some states classify kratom). But it would still have been terrible news for Michigan.
Several opiate drugs, including codeine, are classed as Schedule V substances. It is not lost on me that the authorities often refer to kratom as having opiate-like properties. That some people would want to group kratom with actual opiates is not overly surprising.
But botanically speaking, kratom has more in common with coffee than opium! Yes, you read that right. The Mitragyna speciosa plant belongs to the Rubiaceae family, better known as the coffee family.
Michiganders did not tolerate the plans to make kratom a Schedule V drug. People signed petitions and hammered the phone lines to tell their representatives to keep kratom legal.
MI HB5707 died in the House Health Policy Committee a fortnight after Rep. Darany introduced it. But that was only the start of the fight for legal kratom in Michigan.
2019 Ban Attempt: Michigan Senate Bill 433 (MI SB0433)
In August 2019, Sen. John Bizon (R) introduced an even more concerning bill to the Michigan Senate. MI SB0433 called to make kratom a Schedule II substance.
The law deems Schedule II drugs as dangerous and having a high potential for abuse, with a risk of physical dependence.
Kratom activists were concerned by the bill, especially given Sen. Bizon is a qualified physician. The state senator described kratom as addictive and dangerous, hence why he wanted to change the law to make it available on a prescription-only basis.
MI SB0433 failed to gain traction and died in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee almost straight away.
However, in September 2019, the American Kratom Association (AKA) published a statement following a discussion with Bizon. The AKA said that Bizon does not want to ban kratom but regulate it. So, there may be common ground between the two!
No Michigan lawmakers have tried banning kratom since Bizon’s 2019 bill.
Kratom Consumer Protection Act
Regulation is the best way forward for Michigan’s kratom industry. However, despite the recognition that it is needed, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) has not yet been passed.
The AKA supports the KCPA, which is about making products safer and stopping them from falling into the wrong hands. For instance, regulations prevent processors from adulterating products with harmful non-kratom substances or creating products with synthetic alkaloids.
In October 2021, more than a dozen lawmakers sponsored a bill to bring regulation to Michigan’s kratom market. Michigan House Bill 5477 (MI HB5477) had bipartisan support but died in the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee after being approved by the House.
Will Michigan Keep Kratom Legal?
Having fought off two ban attempts, kratom users in Michigan should be optimistic about the future. The state doesn’t have the appetite to make kratom illegal. If it was going to happen, it probably would have already done so.
But KCPA-style regulation is still vital. Without checks on the manufacturers, the risk of a scandal due to adulterated or contaminated kratom remains high. Indeed, the 2018 U.S. salmonella outbreak was linked to contaminated kratom products.
Kratom at the Federal Level
Changes to kratom’s legal status at the federal level could have implications in Michigan. Since the state doesn’t have an independent stance, it may automatically follow the federal government’s position.
As of February 2023, there are no indications that kratom could be banned at the federal level. But the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) previous bid to make kratom a Schedule I drug is still fresh in the mind of many kratom users.
Check out this post for everything you need to know about federal kratom law.
Where to Buy Kratom in Michigan?
With kratom legal everywhere in Michigan, consumers have a ton of choices when shopping. But not all brick-and-mortar kratom vendors are up to standard, especially since Michigan hasn’t passed the KCPA.
Here are a few examples of stores where you can buy kratom in Michigan.
Kratom stores
Convenience stores
Gas stations
Head shops
Smoke shops
Of course, shops specializing in kratom are more likely to sell high-quality products. Conversely, gas stations and other jack-of-all-trades shops are prone to selling sketchy kratom and products without third-party lab results.
But nearly all physical kratom vendors fall short of online stores in terms of value for money. Nowadays, I refuse to pay sky-high prices when I can buy premium kratom products for much less and have them shipped to my door.
You should always check the third-party lab result for a product, whether buying online or in person. This should provide information on purity and alkaloid potency. If the results aren’t readily available, ask the vendor!
If you live in Michigan and want to buy kratom at the store, here are two shops to try.
Final Thoughts
Kratom’s situation in Michigan is similar to many states - legal but unregulated. That is a mixed bag for consumers. The main thing is that kratom is legal. But no regulation puts the onus on the buyer to ensure they are purchasing pure and potent products.