As of Aug. 1, Louisiana has officially banned kratom, an herbal product once widely available at gas stations and smoke shops across the state.
Under Senate Bill 154, kratom is now classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, putting it in the same category as heroin and LSD. The law makes it illegal to sell, possess, or distribute any kratom products in Louisiana.
State leaders say the ban was necessary to protect public health. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, kratom-related deaths jumped from eight in 2018 to 53 in 2021.
The concern hit home last year when a 36-year-old woman in St. Tammany Parish died from polydrug toxicity, which included a lethal dose of kratom.
But not everyone supports the decision.
“A lot of people are going to be mad right now,” said Joe, a sales associate at Smoke on 2, a Covington smoke shop. “Most of our sales are coming from kratom.”
Joe says about 25% of the store’s business relied on kratom products, often marketed as a natural pain reliever. He spent the morning clearing shelves and boxing up inventory he can’t sell or ship back to suppliers.
“Most kratom buyers are, like, older or like construction workers,” he said. “They use it for pain.”
Outside the shop, Demontreal Gatlin, who doesn’t use kratom, says he knows people who relied on it to stay clean from opioids like heroin.
“I can’t really judge no buyers on it. If they doing heroin, and then they go to something they sold in the store to try and keep themselves from doing something that’s going to make them OD,” Gatlin said.
He believes that without access to kratom, some addicts may relapse or simply cross state lines to buy it.
“If they love their life, they’re going to go wherever they gotta go to get something that’s gonna help them out,” he said.
Kratom remains legal in nearby Mississippi, but under Louisiana’s new law, even small amounts can now lead to fines or jail time.
READ MORE:Kratom is now illegal in Louisiana — what that means
