California Advances Kratom Sales Ban Bill

California lawmakers are advancing legislation to explicitly prohibit the sale of kratom, an addictive plant with opioid-like effects, in products such as the wellness tonic Feel Free, which several universities once promoted through athletic sponsorships. The measure, introduced by Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a Bakersfield physician, aims to strengthen the state's enforcement powers amid ongoing health concerns and federal uncertainty over the substance's status.

Feel Free, produced by Botanic Tonics since 2020, consists of small two-ounce bottles containing kava root and kratom leaf extracts. Marketed as a natural alternative to alcohol or sleep aids, the earthy-tasting drink is sold for about $10 each in smoke shops, health food stores and convenience outlets across California and beyond. Kratom, derived from trees in Southeast Asia, contains alkaloids like mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine that bind to opioid receptors in the brain, producing feelings of pleasure, alertness in low doses and sedation or euphoria in higher amounts.

Federal agencies have warned of serious risks. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom as a dietary supplement or drug and...