The Global Kratom Coalition (GKC) applauds the Nebraska Legislature for the successful passage of Legislative Bill 230, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, introduced by State Senator Bob Hallstrom (District 1, Syracuse, NE). This critical legislation establishes common-sense regulations that enhances consumer safety and promotes the responsible manufacturing, marketing, and sale of kratom products in Nebraska.
GKC has been actively engaged with Nebraska lawmakers since early 2024, advocating for evidence-based standards that preserve access to natural kratom while shielding the public from dangerous synthetic products that falsely claim to be kratom.
LB 230 includes robust protections for consumers, such as prohibiting the marketing of kratom products to children, banning sales to individuals under 21 years old, and requiring product labeling that discourages use by pregnant or breastfeeding women.
“The Nebraska legislature should be commended for leading the way in creating common sense regulations for kratom, keeping it safe and accessible for consumers,” said Matthew Lowe, Executive Director of the Global Kratom Coalition. “Nebraska lawmakers have created a model for other states to pursue by including provisions in the legislation with some real teeth.”
One of the most impactful provisions of the bill restricts the level of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7OH) in kratom products to no more than 2% of the total alkaloid composition. This critical safeguard eliminates the threat posed by highly concentrated 7OH synthetic products — commonly referred to as “7”— which have been proliferating across the country.
Unlike natural-leaf kratom, these synthetically altered products contain eight unknown compounds and levels of 7OH up to 100 times higher than naturally occurring kratom. These untested products lack scientific backing for claims of treating chronic pain and opioid use disorder.
Despite mounting scientific consensus and public health concern, groups like the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) have actively sought to undermine the bill or strip out key consumer protections. HART continues to promote synthetic “7” products without offering credible data, directly contradicting the views of leading U.S. kratom researchers who assert that “7” products should not be considered kratom.
During a press event in October 2024, HART panelists advocated for regulating 7OH products as though they were natural kratom, making unapproved drug claims without FDA authorization.
“When organizations like HART are advocating for products that are unapproved drugs that have not gone through the FDA approval process,” said Lowe. “Without FDA approval, selling those products is unlawful and puts consumers at risk.”
Since the introduction of LB 230 on January 14, 2025, GKC has worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the legislation balances access to safe, natural kratom with strong protections against dangerous synthetic alternatives.
“Our goal has always been to support legislation that empowers consumers to make informed choices and preserves access to responsibly manufactured kratom products,” said Lowe. “With the passage of Nebraska’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act, we’ve made a significant leap toward that vision.”
The Global Kratom Coalition thanks the Nebraska Legislature for standing up for consumer safety and urges other states to follow Nebraska’s lead by adopting meaningful, science-based kratom regulation.
