Wyoming House Judiciary Committee Unanimously Advances Kratom Age-Restriction Bill, With Coroner Warning It 'Can Cause Death'

Why it matters

Wyoming's Senate File 56 — which would ban selling kratom to anyone under 21 and restrict adulterated and high-potency products — passed the House Judiciary Committee unanimously on Feb. 25, 2026, and is five steps away from becoming law.

The big picture

Wyoming joins a growing wave of states enacting kratom regulations following confirmed overdose deaths. The bill's sponsor was motivated by coroners flagging mitragynine in toxicology reports. A Fremont County coroner testified directly about kratom-related deaths and suicides in her jurisdiction. Multiple testifiers called for an outright ban rather than an age restriction.

Key findings

• Wyoming House Judiciary Committee passed SF 56 by a unanimous 7-0 vote on Feb. 25, 2026
• The bill would criminalize selling kratom to anyone under 21, with up to 1 year in jail and $1,000 in fines
• It also restricts products with alkaloid concentrations above 0.2%, candy-like packaging, and products intended for smoking
• Would allocate $115,000 per biennium to Wyoming Department of Health and $24,000 for agriculture testing equipment
• Fremont County Coroner confirmed kratom contributed to deaths and suicides in her county in 2025
• Drug intelligence officer testified kratom binds more strongly to opioid receptors than fentanyl or morphine, requiring more naloxone to reverse overdoses

What they say

"It is highly addictive and at high doses, can cause death," said Fremont County Coroner Erin Ivie. Drug intelligence officer Casey Patterson told the committee kratom "attaches — much more strongly — to just one prong" of the opioid receptor, explaining why overdose reversal may require higher naloxone doses.

Bottom line

Wyoming's age-restriction kratom bill advanced unanimously through a House committee on Feb. 25, 2026, following coroner testimony confirming kratom-related deaths and suicides across the state.