North Dakota legislators will be coming back to Bismarck on September 2 to deal with the issue of kratom.
This, after the federal Drug Enforcement Administration will make one of kratom’s synthetic derivatives — 7-OH, a schedule one drug — meaning it would be similar to LSD and Heroin.
The North Dakota Board of Pharmacy has passed a similar classification. And Governor Armstrong has issued an executive order prohibiting the sale, use and possession of kratom and kratom products. But Armstrong’s executive order will expire in 30 days — so he has called the special session to put the ban in state law.
“Right now, it’s the wild west, when it comes to kratom sales in North Dakota,” Armstrong said at a Capitol news conference. “There are no regulations, no age restrictions, no labeling requirements, and quite simply, no accountability.”
Armstrong’s executive order expires in early September. He told reporters that’s why he’s calling the special session to begin September 2.
“I take these executive actions seriously,” Armstrong said. “As a former legislator, I understand that crafting laws is not my job — it’s the Legislature’s.”
“The Governor and the Attorney General have made a compelling case, that we cannot wait when it comes to kratom,” said Senate Majority Leader David Hogue (R-Minot). Hogue told reporters the costs of waiting for the regular Legislative session in January are just too high.
“Kratom has been marketed in our state as a harmless herbal supplement, sold in convenience stores and smoke shops, next to energy drinks,” Hogue said. “Kratom that is marketed today is not a supplement — it is an opioid-acting drug, sold with no consistent age check or safety standard.”
Hogue said a working committee of lawmakers will be drafting the bill for the special session.
