Tennessee Kratom Ban Takes Effect July 1, Carrying Criminal Penalties — Advocates Decry Criminalization Over Regulation

Why it matters

Starting July 1, 2026, Tennesseans face criminal charges — including felony prosecution for sellers — for possessing or distributing kratom, affecting an estimated hundreds of thousands of regular users who relied on the plant for chronic pain, opioid withdrawal management, and mental health support.

The big picture

Tennessee's Matthew Davenport's Law, signed by Gov. Bill Lee on May 7, is among the strictest kratom laws in the country, criminalizing possession and making retail sales a Class C felony. The legislation is named after a 27-year-old who died from a kratom-medication interaction in 2024. Tennessee joins a growing wave of states enacting bans, though advocates argue criminalization abandons vulnerable patients who have no safe alternative for pain or opioid recovery.

Key findings

• Possession of kratom in Tennessee becomes a Class A misdemeanor starting July 1, 2026
• Manufacturing, delivering, or selling kratom becomes a Class C felony
• Selling or delivering to a minor is elevated to a Class B felony
• The law covers any part of the Mitragyna speciosa plant containing mitragynine or 7-OH metabolites
• Tens of thousands of Tennesseans signed petitions calling for regulation rather than criminalization
• Advocates who use kratom for chronic pain warn the ban will drive them toward more dangerous alternatives

What they say

"It gave me my life back," wrote chronic pain patient Jennifer Gillis in a letter to The Tennessean. "I am a 9-year kratom consumer for my severe chronic pain. Kratom saves lives! Please do not ban! Do not abandon those who use natural leaf for their health and wellbeing."

Bottom line

Tennessee's kratom ban is one of the harshest in the nation — users now face misdemeanor charges for simple possession and sellers face felony prosecution starting July 1, 2026.