Kratom is a plant in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia, where its leaves have been traditionally ingested for their mild stimulant and pain-relieving properties. In the United States, kratom leaves are often ground and sold in pill or powder form, which users commonly report ingesting as a treatment for pain management and opioid withdrawal. In Missouri, the sale of kratom is legal and there are no state-level requirements for labeling, though St. Charles County restricts sales to those over age 18 and imposes labeling requirements for kratom products. HB 350, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, would give regulatory power over kratom products to the state, rather than political subdivisions, and require that kratom products include the amount of mitragynine (the active ingredient in kratom) on the label. This bill would also set the purchase age for kratom products to 18 and restrict the sale of kratom products that contain substances other than kratom, including synthetic compounds.
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