Regulate Kratom Access to Protect Virginia Communities

Petition to the Virginia General Assembly

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) and its psychoactive compounds, including mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, are currently sold without regulation in gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops throughout Virginia. These substances can cause physical dependence requiring medical intervention to discontinue safely.

Some Virginia addiction medicine specialists report that over half of their detox patients now seek help for kratom withdrawal. Online support communities like Kratom Quitters document over 11,000 members struggling with severe withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and physical pain lasting weeks without proper medical care. Tens of thousands are now in recovery from kratom addiction, exposing the lie that this "natural plant" is harmless.

Medical detox clinics across Virginia now offer specialized kratom withdrawal programs because the symptoms can be dangerous without professional supervision. Yet these opioid-acting substances remain easily available next to candy and energy drinks in convenience stores, deceptively marketed as harmless "natural herbal supplements" despite acting on the same brain receptors as opioids.

The undersigned Virginia residents request support for HB360 primarily due to its requirement to move kratom behind the counter.