New York Advocates: Urge the Rensselaer County Executive NOT to Sign the Blanket Kratom Ban 🚨

Rensselaer County is on the verge of enacting one of the broadest kratom bans in New York — a total prohibition on all kratom products, including natural kratom leaf, which has not been targeted by federal regulators. The Legislature has already passed the measure, and it now sits on the desk of County Executive Steve McLaughlin, who has 10 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law by inaction.

This moment matters. The proposed ban goes further than both federal policy and New York State law, and advocates across New York are urging McLaughlin to reject it.

⛔ What Rensselaer County’s Ban Would Do

The county’s bill would ban the sale of all kratom products, with fines starting at $500 per item and the possibility of criminal prosecution. The only exception is for FDA‑approved or doctor‑prescribed kratom — but no such products exist, meaning this is effectively a total ban.

This approach mirrors recent bans in Albany County and several others, but it goes far beyond what state lawmakers have supported.

🧪 What the DEA Actually Regulates — And Why This Ban Overreaches

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has made its position clear:

• The DEA is targeting synthetic or highly concentrated 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) and related lab‑made substances.
• Botanical kratom leaf is not included as long as its naturally occurring 7‑OH remains below the federal threshold.
• The DEA explicitly states that its temporary scheduling action does not apply to botanical kratom products.

In other words: Natural kratom leaf ≠ synthetic 7‑OH. But Rensselaer County’s ban treats them as the same.

🏛️ What New York State Law Says

New York has already taken action — but in a targeted, evidence‑based way:

• The state bans kratom sales to anyone under 21 and requires warning labels.
• Multiple counties (Dutchess, Suffolk) have banned synthetic or concentrated versions, not natural leaf.
• The Legislature unanimously passed the STOP 7‑OH bill, which focuses on synthetic 7‑OH while preserving access to natural kratom leaf — a bill supported by Rensselaer County’s own state representatives.

Rensselaer County’s blanket ban contradicts the direction of both federal and state policy.

📊 What the Data Shows

Concerns about kratom often stem from cases involving multiple substances, adulterated products, or synthetic 7‑OH, not traditional leaf:

• In New York, kratom was found in 131 of 10,192 overdose deaths in 2023–2024, and listed as a cause in 100 — but many involved drug cocktails, not isolated botanical kratom.
• Poison control reports have risen nationwide, but experts and retailers emphasize that synthetic 7‑OH products are not kratom and carry very different risk profiles.
• The DEA and HHS confirm that synthetic 7‑OH has no medical use and high abuse potential, while botanical kratom contains only trace amounts of 7‑OH.

Even local business owners and advocates in New York have testified that banning natural kratom leaf is scientifically inaccurate and harmful to responsible consumers.

🧭 What Advocates Are Asking County Executive McLaughlin to Consider

When you call or email, emphasize:

• The ban goes against the DEA’s approach, which targets synthetics — not natural leaf.
• It goes beyond existing New York State law, which regulates kratom responsibly rather than banning it.
• Natural kratom leaf is NOT concentrated synthetic 7‑OH, and conflating them is scientifically incorrect.
• Share your personal experience as a responsible adult consumer of natural kratom leaf.

Your voice matters — especially now.

📞 Contact County Executive Steve McLaughlin

Phone: (518) 266‑1900 Email: smclaughlin@renscony.gov

Be respectful, be factual, and be clear: Urge him NOT to sign the blanket kratom ban.