Kratom ban criminalizes natural human metabolism
As a New Hampshire resident, I watched the House debate on SB557, the kratom ban. I am concerned that legislators who voted “yes” were misled by inaccurate pharmacology.
Representative Joe Sweeney compared kratom to a poppy seed bagel, claiming the compound 7‑OH is a “deadly substance” created only by “synthesis.” But a 2024 peer‑reviewed study (Mongar et al., ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science) proves otherwise. The human liver naturally converts mitragynine from plain kratom leaf into 7‑OH. That conversion begins within 15 minutes and is actually required for pain relief. Sweeney also said natural pain relief products are “still good” – a contradiction, because those products work only because the body makes the same 7‑OH he calls deadly.
Worse, the bill’s text defines “synthetic kratom” as any alkaloid created by “enzymatic techniques” or “processes that would confer a structural change.” That describes exactly what happens inside a person after drinking kratom tea. The bill provides no exemption for normal human metabolism. A person whose body naturally produces 7‑OH could technically be charged with possessing a Schedule II drug.
I am not defending dangerous synthetic products. But banning a natural botanical-based product on false science – and writing a law so broad it could criminalize our own biology – is not good governance. I ask our representatives to revisit this vote with accurate science and clear legal drafting.