The House Regulatory Reform Committee on July 29 heard testimony on House Bill 4969, legislation sponsored by Representative Josh Cabot that would ban synthetic alkaloids marketed as kratom, restrict sales to people 21 and older and require kratom products to be kept in locked displays and devoid of certain marketing claims.

"My bill will ban the sale of these dangerous synthetic chemicals and prevent them from being marketed as kratom," Representative Josh Cabot said, describing the bill as a response to a 2023 death he tied to a synthetic product marketed as kratom. "Under this legislation, kratom could only be sold to individuals 21 and older, and all retail stores would be required to keep it locked in display, and it would not be allowed to print on packaging misleading information such as healthy alternative, weight loss supplement, energy."

Supporters of strict regulation told the committee they want safer, labeled products but expressed different views about banning the specific compound known as 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH or "7‑0‑h"). John Cleveland of Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HEART) testified in opposition to the bill as written and urged the committee to regulate rather than ban 7‑OH. "We don't believe either 7‑OH or kratom should be banned," Cleveland said, urging dosage limits, third‑party testing, age restrictions and manufacturing standards instead of an outright ban.

Industry and consumer advocates backing the bill said Michigan should adopt a consumer‑protection model in line with other states. Mac Haddow of the American Kratom Association urged enactment of a Kratom Consumer Protection Act that would require testing, honest labeling and age gating. Walker Gollman of the Global Kratom Coalition said the bill creates a product registry, licensing and testing requirements that would protect consumers while distinguishing naturally derived kratom from concentrated or synthetic products.

Committee members asked technical and policy questions about differences between natural kratom leaf and concentrated 7‑OH, appropriate dosage limits, and enforcement. Representative Cabot told the panel he would seek to distinguish natural kratom from synthetic products and to focus penalties on misbranding and possession or sale to minors. A committee member asked about an acceptable 7‑OH level; Representative Cabot replied that a 2% level had been discussed in testimony.

No final vote was taken on HB 4969 during the hearing. Witnesses urged a regulatory approach that balances public‑safety concerns with continued access for adults who report using kratom for chronic pain management and opioid‑withdrawal support.

The hearing drew multiple public‑interest and industry groups on both sides; members said they would continue work on drafting specific language for definitions, labeling, dosage limits and enforcement.