The largest city in Oregon which is the 33rd state of the United States, is Portland. What’exciting is that this state has no sales tax. However, To our surprise, kratom, or what we formally know as Mitragyna speciosa, is currently legal in Portland.
Seeing banners saying, “Kratom on sale!” in Portland should not be strange as of now. While there had been multiple attempts in the past made to ban the use of n, neither of them succeeded.
In addition, unlike other cities of the United States, the use of Kratom in Portland is permissible in all areas without the fear of breaking any law. This article highlights the laws and regulations proposed to ban Kratom use but were not completely successful.
What is Kratom?
Mitragyna speciosa is a tropical, evergreen plant belonging to the Rubiaceae or coffee family. It is primarily grown in Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.
It is claimed that kratom has various beneficial effects on the human body, owing to the presence of alkaloids, the main active component concentrated in the leaves, trunk, and bark of the Kratom plant. While mitragynine (MG) and 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7 – HMG) dominate the total alkaloid content, there are several others present too, such as paynantheine and specigoynine.
Kratom herb has been a part of traditional medicine for thousands of years, but its use has increased multifold due to the increasing popularity of its positive effects.
Some people prefer chewing raw leaves or brewing a cup of tea while others like to use there are various forms in which it is sold now. These include;
Kratom in Portland
Currently, you can use and it is legal to use kratom in Portland, but its way up here was not smooth. There is still an ongoing debate among those who support Kratom use and those who oppose it.
BILL OF 2017
The State Board of Pharmacy in 2017 carried out research to study the safety of kratom and whether it should be added to the list of controlled substances or not. This happened to be the first attempt made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban Kratom use on the federal level.
The most important fact was the inclusion of the American Kratom Association (AKA) core members. Despite all the efforts, the bill failed.
SALMONELLA OUTBREAK IN 2018
Although the use of kratom is usually propagated because of its benefits, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still doesn’t have a definite stance. In 2018, they passed a statement saying, “There is no evidence to indicate that kratom is safe or effective for any medical use.”
Soon after, in February, cases of salmonella outbreak associated with the use of kratom came out. Kratom sellers and retailers in Portland were accused of selling salmonella-contaminated kratom by the FDA. As the cases rose, Oregon came out to be the state with the most people affected, especially in Portland.
Experiments proved that multiple strains of kratom were contaminated with different salmonella strains, but neither had a common source, and thus the claims failed, and Kratom use remained unaffected.
BILL AND KRATOM REGULATIONS IN 2019
Within a year, again, cases of Kratom contamination were reported in April 2019. This time Kratom vendors and companies were accused of selling kratom that was polluted with heavy metals.
Subsequently, a couple of rules were added to a bill that was completely unrelated to kratom. This imposed regulation on Kratom sales as there had to be proper testing and labeling of every Kratom product before it was sold. Also, the age restriction was to be set.
However, in June 2019, the bill was again amended, and kratom was removed from it. They believed that though Kratom use needs to be regulated, the process requires much more time and effort. There was a need to add new staff to carry out proper testing and labeling of the Kratom products, which were not available at that point.
In addition, the American Kratom Association (AKA) brought forward a Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) that was supported by the majority users of Kratom in Portland. It focused on prioritizing the safety of kratom and making its access easier for the consumers.
BILL OF 2020
Soon enough, in January 2020, another bill was passed to regulate the use of Kratom in Portland. It was passed under the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) to ensure that the Kratom users received the highest quality of kratom that is free of pathogens and contaminants. Moreover, it had to make sure that all Kratom vendors followed the rules.
The issues addressed by the 2020 bill were
- Proper labeling of Kratom products
- Testing of Kratom
- Age-restricted purchase
- Possession of Kratom
- Contaminated and polluted kratom
- Regulation of fines and penalties
Nevertheless, this bill also did not come into action and died; meanwhile, it was under discussion.
KRATOM CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT 2021
Ultimately, in January 2021, the KCPA was passed to regulate the purchase and use of kratom. Its primary purpose was to make sure that kratom was free of all illegal and prohibited substances along with those added chemicals which might alter its potency.
The purchase of kratom with more than 2% of 7-hydroxy mitragynine or synthetic alkaloid was restricted. Also, anyone below the age of 21 years cannot purchase or use Kratom products. All the Kratom manufacturers had to label their products with the alkaloid content and dosage on the packaging.
Lastly, there was a fine of $500 on the violation of the first law, which goes up to $1,000 for further violations. Regardless of the attempts, the state governor, Kate Brown, dismissed the bill stating that the FDA would do a better job.
Where Can You Buy Online Kratom In Portland?
To get the positive effects of kratom, you need to make sure that you are buying it in its purest and freshest Kratom form. However, buying kratom online can be tricky, but not too difficult.
You need to spend some time searching for trustworthy brands, and those which fulfill the credibility have a strict standard of processing and get all their products tested through a credible third-party lab.
Some of the reliable brands selling Kratom in Portland are PurKratom, Coastline Kratom, Gaia Ethnobotanical, and Kraken Kratom.
The Bottom Line
The best news for the Kratom users is that Kratom in Potland is legal, that too without any regulations. Thus, if you are a kratom advocate, you can cherish purchasing and using kratom without any fear or worry.
