Kosierowski kratom bill unanimously passes PA House
Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski October 5, 2026 | 4:26 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 5 – Legislation that would regulate the sale of natural kratom products and prohibit the sale of synthetic kratom unanimously passed the House today, the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna, announced.
Kratom is a plant from southeast Asia used for its psychoactive properties.
The Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have recommended that the Drug Enforcement Agency classify 7-OH as a Schedule 1 controlled substance – placing it in the same category as heroin and LSD.
House Bill 2657 would create a statutory framework for the sale, distribution and quality control of kratom products within Pennsylvania. Retailers registered with the state would be allowed to sell natural-leaf kratom products to people 21 and over. Packaging would have to list the manufacturer's name and address, carry a warning that the products have not been evaluated by the FDA and make no medical claims. Packaging would also have to be child resistant and designed not to appeal to minors. Kratom products would be subject to the tobacco tax.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health would enforce standards and collect taxes.
The bill would also ban the sale of synthetic or adulterated kratom products, including those that contain more than 0.5% alkaloid composition of 7-hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, a compound found in only trace amounts in the kratom leaf. Sellers of these illegal products would be subject to criminal penalties.
Kosierowski said that this legislation was prompted by the rising number of overdoses where kratom was found, either alone or with other drugs. There have been 33 in Pennsylvania since 2025, according to the DOH. Calls to poison control centers regarding kratom have also risen this year, with 106 from Jan. 1 through June 30, including 41 involving 7-OH. The calls involved individuals from 12 months to 80 years of age; naloxone was administered in 25 cases, and 14 individuals required mechanical ventilation.
“What we know and don’t know about kratom are both terrifying,” Kosierowski said. “We already are aware that kratom is terribly addictive and can kill users, but what really worries me, given the drug’s soaring popularity and widespread availably, is that there is limited research on the long-term effects of taking it or how it interacts with other drugs. Pennsylvania urgently needs to regulate the sale of this drug to increase consumer safety.”
The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration.