top of page

Florida Kratom Laws Update: Big Corporate Wants To Take It All

  • Writer: Head Ninja
    Head Ninja
  • May 28
  • 3 min read

Mitragyna Speciosa flower in early bloom
Mitragyna Speciosa flower in early bloom

This isn’t just about kratom. It’s about who controls your right to choose what helps your body, your mind, your life. Florida Kratom laws currently put the people in a position of freedom, but the big corporations are looking to change that.

Over the past three years, Florida lawmakers have been busy drafting bills to regulate kratom. But behind the scenes, something more dangerous is brewing: One large vendor is spending big money on lobbying legislators to create rules only they can meet. The result, if they win, is shutting down your local kava bars, small-batch vendors, and the very people who built this community.

If you love Kratom, now is the time to pay attention. We are building a grassroots strategy to get out in front of this before the next legislative session begins.


The Paper Trail: Florida’s Kratom Bills

2022: The First Warning Sign - Nobody thought it would lead to this!

Senate Bill 1076 (SB 1076) introduced the concept of the "Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act." It aimed to:

  • Define and regulate kratom products

  • Ban sales to people under 21

  • Penalize vendors for noncompliance

  •  It died quietly in committee—but not before laying the groundwork for what came next.


2023: Law Passed—But Who Benefits?

House Bill 179 (HB 179) passed and became law on July 1, 2023, officially making it illegal to sell kratom to anyone under 21. It also:

  • Created criminal penalties for violations

  • Gave regulatory authority to DACS

The law was marketed as a “win” for safety, but many missed the hidden cost: the start of a corporate capture.


2024: They Came Back for More

SB 842 and HB 861 were next—filled with buzzwords like “safety” and “standards.” But make no mistake:

These bills were designed to crush the little guys.

They proposed:

  • Safety requirements no small vendor could afford

  • More penalties

  • More red tape

They failed. But the corporations didn’t give up.


2025: The Monopolization Attempt

This year, SB 1734 and HB 1489 took it to the next level:

  • FDA registration required for all bars and vendors (which costs tens of thousands)

  • Permit demands only big businesses could meet

  • Bans on common drink combinations in your local kava bar

The goal? Drive everyone else out. Corner the market. Raise prices. Control access.

These bills were withdrawn—but not because they were wrong. Because a few vendors and kava bar owners pushed back. Most people who love this plant, and most bar/product owners have remained unaware and uninvolved.


The Ugly Truth: Who’s Behind The Proposed Changes of Florida Kratom Laws?

It’s not speculation anymore. A SOON TO BE NAMED VENDOR, a massive kratom and Kava blend company, is spending big on lobbyists to shape laws in their favor. I would not be surprised at all if we end up finding out they supported leaf grind size change laws in Indonesia. They want to:

  • Lock out small vendors with unaffordable regulations

  • Create fake scarcity

  • Dominate Florida’s kratom supply chain

You’ve supported your local bar. You’ve trusted your neighborhood vendor. Now imagine all of that gone - replaced by one brand, in a can. One source. One price.

This isn’t regulation.It’s a takeover.

🔥 What’s at Stake for You 🔥

✅ Your morning tea

✅ Your ability to manage pain or anxiety naturally

✅ Your favorite kava bar & social scene

✅ Your choice


If these efforts succeed:

  • Kava bars will have reduced profits and many will be forced to shut down

  • Prices double or triple

  • Only one brand survives - and you’ll pay for it if you want access

“They want to turn our roots into their riches.”

Hope Is Rising: A People-Powered Pushback

You’re not alone.A new grassroots advocacy movement is forming, and it’s not bought and paid for. It’s in the process of being built by one person, who has stood by Kratom since the early rise of popularity in 2008. An O.G. of Kratom. A long standing community member who cares about health freedom, community, and truth.


Ninja Botanicals is parntering with her to organize the first wave of action. Stay tuned, and we will be sharing contact information, how you can help advocate, and a new website soon.

We’re connecting:

  • Everyday kratom users

  • Kava and kratom bar owners

  • Honest small-batch vendors

  • Advocates who still believe in people over profit

We’ll organize. We’ll show up. We’ll fight back—with facts, voices, and numbers.


Are You With Us?

The battle for Kratom isn’t coming—it’s already here. And like all battles worth fighting, the outcome depends on who shows up.

🔗 email melody@melody-mcdonald.com for more information.


📣 Share this post.📩 Tag your favorite bar.👥 Invite your vendor to get involved.

This is our plant. Our fight. Our moment.

 
 
 

Comments


bottom of page