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If you are planning on visiting the state but are wondering, “Is kratom legal in Alabama?” then read on.
Currently, the sale and possession of Kratom in Alabama will result in legal consequences. Currently, kratom and products containing this substance remain illegal per state law.
Kratom Legality in Alabama: What You Need to Know
Kratom products are commercially available to Alabama residents before the spring of 2016. The product was sold under many names, like Krazy Kratom, Viva-Lize, and Green Vein, to name a few. You can find and purchase them in retail stores, gas stations, and online.
But in May 2016, the legislature passed Senate Bill 226 despite opposition from kratom users. This Alabama law adds mitragynine and hydroxy mitragynine, two alkaloids found in kratom leaves, to the controlled substance list. This bill bans kratom in the state.
As a Schedule I controlled substance in the state, kratom is considered to have a potential for user abuse and no currently accepted medical use.
It means it’s illegal to buy and sell kratom, whether in a brick-and-mortar store or online. Besides, online vendors don’t ship the herb in the state. Even if you plan to buy kratom for medicinal purposes, you cannot purchase the product without risking criminal charges.
For the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), kratom isn’t yet under the controlled substances act. But, the agency still lists it as a Drug and Chemical of Concern, which means they acknowledge that the substance poses probable risks to those who use it.
Penalties for Possession and Sale of Kratom in Alabama
Kratom is federally legal in most states and municipalities in the United States. Alabama is just one of six other states in the United States that currently implements a kratom ban.
Possession, sale, use, and transfer of kratom are considered felonies. You can face hefty penalties if law enforcers catch you possessing the substance.
If the law enforcers catch you possessing the controlled substance list for personal use, you could face up to 10 years of jail time. You also have to pay up to a $15,000 fine. If they catch you committing this Class C felony, the penalty will be more severe. It includes up to a $30,000 fine and 20 years in jail.
The penalties are even harsher for selling a controlled substance in Alabama. Your nationality will not matter. You’ll face criminal charges if caught possessing kratom, whether a local or a tourist.
Kratom Laws: The Kratom Consumer Protection Act
Now that you know the answer to “Is kratom legal in Alabama?” but still wish kratom is legal in the state, you’re not alone. Many Kratom advocates, like the American Kratom Association, fight for the substance’s legality. The American Kratom Association created the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). KCPA regulates the manufacture and sale of the substance.
The KCPA helps ensure that there are only high-quality kratom products in the market. It forbids dealers to prepare, sell, or distribute contaminated or adulterated kratom products. It also requires sellers to put labels containing the amount of Scheduled I chemicals in the product. And most importantly, it determines age restrictions and bans the sale of the product to individuals under 18.
What Exactly Is Kratom?
Kratom is a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It belongs to the coffee family and is known by its scientific name, Mitragyna speciosa. The tree can grow up to 80 feet tall and has dark green leaves that can be either glossy or dull in appearance, depending on the strain.
The leaves of the kratom tree have been used for centuries in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. Local manual laborers chew or make the chopped fresh or dried leaves into a tea to boost productivity and combat fatigue.
Consuming kratom leaves may produce stimulating effects in low doses and sedating effects in high doses. It’s available in various forms, such as kratom powder, capsules, tablets, and extracts. Some vendors advertise the product to consumers as an herbal supplement.
What Are the Effects of Kratom?
Kratom is known for its wide range of effects on the body. Like other drugs, the effects may depend on the formulation of the product, its potency, the amount of substance taken, and how the user injects it. The presence of other drugs in a person’s system and any underlying medical condition also matters.
Generally, people who take the substance in low doses experience increased alertness, talkativeness, and physical energy. In higher doses, kratom can act as a sedative, providing a milder relieving effect than synthetic substances. This effect makes the substance popular for those coping with chronic bodily aches.
Kratom is already also a popular alternative treatment for certain addictions as well. People believe it helps manage withdrawal symptoms and reduces the risk of relapse. Unfortunately, the substance itself is highly addictive because of its qualities. People who consume higher doses of this substance will likely depend on it after regular exposure.
Addicted individuals experience hallucinations, delusions, and other psychotic symptoms. When they stop taking it, withdrawal symptoms emerge. It includes aggression, hostility, mood swings, achy muscles and bones, runny nose, and jerky limb movements.
Other reported effects of kratom use include increased urination, constipation, loss of appetite, itching, dry mouth, seizures, and nausea. After consuming the substance for a long time, users experience weight loss, skin darkening, and anorexia.
Because of these effects, many countries and states have decided to ban kratom. And the current answer to “Is kratom legal in Alabama?” is a no.
Can You Still Purchase Kratom?
Alabama authorities can press charges against you if they catch you buying or selling kratom. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an adult or not. There’s no tolerance for the substance within the state lines.
Nevertheless, many states and municipalities in the United States still allow the purchase and consumption of kratom. It includes Florida (except Sarasota County), New Hampshire, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee, to mention a few. If you wish to get your hands on this substance legally, you can visit these places.
In a nutshell, medical professionals and some government organizations see kratom as a dangerous, addictive drug. But for regular users, it’s a beneficial botanical more than fear-worthy foliage. No matter what side you believe in, note that kratom is illegal in Alabama and certain other states, so always stay updated on kratom legalities when visiting these places.
