South Carolina Lawmakers Push Competing Kratom Bills: One Targets Definition, One Seeks Schedule I Ban

Why it matters

South Carolina currently has no comprehensive kratom regulation, and two competing legislative philosophies — targeted redefinition vs. outright Schedule I classification — reflect the national debate over how aggressively governments should act.

The big picture

Across the U.S., at least 24 states now regulate kratom in some form, with a wave of 2026 legislation ranging from consumer protection acts to outright bans. South Carolina has lagged behind, and at least one county death has now been linked to mitragynine toxicity, prompting action at the statehouse.

Key findings

• Rep. Don Chapman (Anderson County) filed a bill to change the legal definition of "regulated kratom products," referred to the judiciary committee
• Rep. Doug Gilliam (District 42) separately sponsored a bill to classify kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance — the most restrictive category — following a constituent's child being harmed by a kratom product
• Greenville County Sheriff's records uncovered at least one death linked to mitragynine toxicity in 2025
• The Phoenix Center addiction recovery center in Greenville reported seeing more patients seeking treatment for kratom-related addiction
• The FDA and federal agencies have raised alarm about 7-OH, a concentrated opioid-like compound often sold as "kratom extract" in gas stations and convenience stores

What they say

"I have a constituent. Their child got really messed up on that," said Rep. Gilliam. "And I'm told, and look in the stores, in the convenience stores, and other places like that, and it is really affecting a lot of families and their kids, and even adults that are getting addicted and caught on that."

Bottom line

South Carolina is now pursuing two distinct legislative paths on kratom simultaneously — one regulatory and one prohibitory — as local deaths and addiction treatment admissions add urgency to the debate.