Counties Pull Kratom, Will Montana Follow Suit?

Convenience stores and grocery stores across Missoula County will soon have to pull kratom from their shelves.

The Missoula City-County Health Department announced that beginning November second, health inspectors will start enforcing federal rules prohibiting kratom in retail food establishments.

While marketed in teas, gummies, and powders for pain relief, the unregulated herbal substance acts like an opioid and carries serious risks of addiction and overdose. Health officials note that kratom was tied to nearly thirty overdose deaths across Montana between 2020 and 2025.

Kratom sold in more than half of stores

The Montana Free Press reports a spot-check by health officials in August found more than half of inspected Missoula retail food businesses were selling it.

County officials say the goal is to keep the dangerous substance away from kids and unsuspecting customers ahead of the upcoming state legislative session. The ban will not apply to smoke shops or dispensaries.

Knudsen hopes for state action

Montana law enforcement officials are expressing increasing concern over kratom, but more so 7-OH, the converted product, which they say is becoming more apparent in the state, especially for young consumers.

Raw kratom leaves only contain trace amounts of 7-OH, but newer, commercial applications are isolating that alkaloid into products like tablets, and even candies that can have that multiply to a potency that can be stronger than morphine.

Attorney General Austin Knudsen is worried about the growing problem, and is anticipating the Legislature will develop measures to control the products in January.

"I don't think this is something that we can just do through rule," Knudsen said on Talkback recently.

"The legislature has looked at Kratom in 7-0H twice before and twice now. They've elected not to do anything. I think that's mostly just because they didn't know what it was."

"The legislature is getting up to speed now. There's been several interim committee meetings on this." -Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen

"I think we'll see some movement to make this stuff illegal in Montana, and frankly, it should be, at least that 70H synthetic stuff. We've got to do something about that."

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