Tennessee Kratom Ban Takes Effect July 1 — Business Owners and Clinicians Fear Users Will Turn Back to Opioids

Why it matters

Tennessee's kratom ban will affect hundreds of thousands of regular users and businesses overnight, with clinicians warning that abrupt loss of access for people using kratom to manage opioid cravings could drive some back to illicit drugs.

The big picture

Tennessee becomes the eighth state to enact a full kratom ban, with HB 1649 — named Matthew Davenport's Law — taking effect July 1, 2026. The law bans kratom sale and possession statewide, classifying possession as a Class A misdemeanor and sale as a Class C felony. Kratom vendors operating in Tennessee are already cutting supply lines and relocating warehouses.

Key findings

• Tennessee's HB 1649 (Matthew Davenport's Law) bans kratom sale and possession starting July 1, 2026
• Possession is a Class A misdemeanor; sale is a Class C felony
• One Middle Tennessee vendor estimates losing 3,500 Tennessee customers and over $5 million in annual revenue
• Knoxville's Renew Clinic reports a surge in treatment referrals and patients acting frantic ahead of the ban date
• Clinicians fear some patients who use kratom to manage opioid withdrawal will relapse to heroin or other opioids without access
• Knoxville opioid numbers were trending down before the ban, raising concerns about a reversal

What they say

Ashlee Krouse, senior operations coordinator at Renew Clinic and a 10-year recovering heroin addict, said: 'One of my biggest concerns is the risk of people going back out to opioids that may have used kratom to get off of opioids.'

Bottom line

**Tennessee's July 1 kratom ban is generating significant anxiety among users and clinicians alike, with addiction treatment professionals warning that abrupt access loss could push some users back toward illicit opioids.**