Kansas Kratom Retailers Fear Black Market as Customers Plan to Order Online After Ban

Why it matters

As Kansas's kratom ban takes effect, some business owners warn it will drive existing users to unregulated online sources or neighboring states rather than stopping use — a pattern critics say undermines the policy's public health goals.

The big picture

Kansas retailers selling kratom have had to remove products from shelves and return unsold inventory to suppliers. While kratom represented a small fraction of sales at many stores, owners are concerned about what happens to their regular customers. Some businesses are proactively offering taper schedules and herbal alternatives to help customers transition away from kratom before the ban takes effect.

Key findings

• Kansas retailers are removing kratom from shelves ahead of the July 1 enforcement date
• One Topeka store owner says kratom represents only about 15% of total sales
• Every customer he has spoken with plans to order kratom online after the ban
• Suppliers are taking back unsold product from retailers
• Some stores offered tapering schedules to help customers reduce usage gradually
• The Kansas Bureau of Investigation declined to disclose enforcement plans
• Some users plan to drive to neighboring Oklahoma or Missouri where kratom remains legal

What they say

"We could've had this regulated. We could've had laws put in place to make sure that it was safely consumed but we chose prohibition. Prohibition don't work. It is what it is. People are going to find their ways around it and this sends this market into the black market," said Jason Todack, owner of Shaman and Harvest in Topeka.

Bottom line

Kansas retailers warn the kratom prohibition will push users to unregulated online markets rather than eliminating use — echoing a longstanding debate about whether bans or consumer protection frameworks better serve public health.