The legal landscape of kratom in the United States is complicated. Although the all-natural herbal supplement has been used for centuries in southeast Asia where it is native, its rise in popularity is relatively recent in the United States. Kratom laws vary on not only a state level, but also on a county and city level in many cases. Illinois kratom laws are one of those special cases in which the popular botanical is legal according to the state, but certain municipalities have banned or restricted its use.
1. Kratom Is Legal in Illinois (Mostly)
At the state level, kratom is legal in Illinois, but not everywhere. Alton, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Jerseyville, Maryville, and Wood River have all banned the use of kratom. This includes buying and selling as well as using kratom. So if you’re looking to enjoy your Bali Kratom Capsules or Rainbow Kratom Blend Powder, make sure you do so in a county where it’s not restricted
2. You Have to be Eighteen
The Illinois state government passed the Kratom Control Act in 2014, which banned the use and sale of kratom for minors. Selling kratom to a minor in Illinois results in a Class B misdemeanor because kratom is not legal in Illinois for anyone under eighteen. This restriction applies statewide, regardless of which municipality the minor is in. It’s best to avoid the hefty fines—which can be as much as $1,500—or the potential 6 months of jail time and keep kratom away from minors in Illinois.
3. A Senator Tried to Ban Kratom
In 2018, one of Illinois’ state senators introduced a bill that would completely ban kratom in the state. However, this bill didn’t go very far and after a year it died. For many years since, no further attempts were made by the Illinois state government to ban kratom. The previous restrictions stayed in place: kratom is not legal in Illinois for anyone under the age of eighteen, but otherwise continued to be unregulated by the state.
4. And Then Someone Tried Again
Another bill was introduced in the winter of 2020 attempting to ban kratom at the state level. Representative Martin Moylan wanted to amend the Illinois Controlled Substances Act to include kratom as a Schedule II controlled substance as well as repeal Illinois’ Kratom Control Act. However, this bill died in committee that same week, not making it far at all.
5. Illinois Kratom Has Been Misrepresented
Jerseyville was the first city in Illinois to ban kratom in 2017. Unfortunately, not everyone who influences whether kratom is legal in Illinois has a clear understanding of what kratom is. Kratom is harvested directly from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree and, when purchased from a reputable kratom vendor, is not mixed with anything else. The kratom leaves contain only nitrogen-containing organic compounds called alkaloids, which are found in various plants, fungi, bacteria, and even some animals.
The primary alkaloids found in kratom are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These may not sound familiar, but the alkaloids in kratom are legal in Illinois. A famous example of a non-kratom alkaloid is the caffeine in coffee! According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, kratom is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act. Although there’s still much more to be learned about kratom, kratom does not contain any DEA-controlled substances within its leaves.
5. Illinois Kratom Is Unregulated
The American Kratom Association has worked to encourage thoughtful kratom regulations to make kratom sale and use safer for all parties involved. According to the American Kratom Association, regulations are helpful to ensure that kratom products are both safe and pure in the United States. This would support that kratom is legal in Illinois. So, they developed the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), which is a set of regulations intended to both maintain kratom’s status as legal as well as hold kratom vendors to a higher standard of safety and purity of their products.
In February of 2020, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act was introduced to the Illinois state government, but unfortunately it did not succeed. Today, the only regulations still in existence for the popular herbal supplement in Illinois are the municipality bans and the age restriction for minors.
6. Double Check Your Vendors
Because the Kratom Consumer Protection Act did not pass in Illinois even though kratom is legal in Illinois, there are no regulations around the sale of kratom. This means that Illinois kratom vendors face no penalty for foregoing proper testing and labeling of their products, for including any adulterants or other harmful substances added to their products, the sale of synthetic alkaloids, or otherwise contaminated kratom. As a result, it will be your responsibility as the customer to do your due diligence on any kratom vendor you shop with in Illinois. Many kratom lovers avoid the hassle of shopping for kratom in store, and instead opt to buy kratom online from a reputable vendor.
7. Kratom Is Legal In Illinois, But Not For All Its Neighbors
Just because you’re safe to possess and use kratom in Illinois does not mean you can take it with you when you leave the state! Kratom is currently illegal in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Both Wisconsin and Indiana share a border with Illinois, so be wary about leaving kratom in your car if your commute often involves crossing into either of those two states.
8. The Best Illinois Kratom Can Be Delivered to Your Doorstep
While kratom itself is an all-natural botanical, without proper regulations, it’s hard to trust what Illinois vendors are selling. Kratom is legal in Illinois, but you want to make sure you only purchase high-quality products. When you order kratom online, it’s much easier to conduct the necessary research to be sure you’re getting pure, lab-tested kratom. Explore Royal Kratom’s kratom powder for sale, and take advantage of our free, same-day shipping and 30-day satisfaction guarantee.