Tennessee bans kratom, citing health risks and addiction concerns

Tennessee has enacted a statewide ban on kratom, a plant‑derived substance that experts say acts on the same brain receptors as opiates. Jennifer Willis, director of the Upper Cumberland substance‑abuse program at Next Step for Life, described kratom as a “mind‑altering narcotic” often sold in gas stations and head shops, leading to physical addiction, severe withdrawal, stomach infections, parasites and other intestinal problems. The ban aims to protect residents, especially people in recovery who may mistakenly use kratom as a supplement.

Separately, kratom does not appear on standard five‑panel urine drug tests. Detecting its primary alkaloids, mitragynine and 7‑hydroxymitragynine, requires specialized immunoassays or LC‑MS/MS analysis, which are increasingly used in legal and clinical settings but are not routine in most workplace or probation screenings.