Kratom in Texas – What is the Legal Status?

kratom texas

Kratom is a natural herb that has been the subject of some controversy lately in a number of US States. That has left many Texas residents wondering whether this beneficial botanical is legal where they live. As of 2014, Kratom powders and extracts are legal in the state of Texas and at the federal level in the United States. That means you can purchase and use it whether you live in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth or any other city in Texas. In this article, we will cover some of the legal complexities of Kratom products and help you decide on where to buy it in your local neighborhood.

Kratom in Texas

Texas is a state that believes in personal liberties and this philosophy is reflected in the current legal status of Kratom. There have been no laws enacted so far to control or restrict the use of this plant or its alkaloids. It is not a scheduled substance and it does not currently seem like the legislature is considering a change to this policy in the near future.

This means that there are no restrictions for consumers as to how much Kratom they can buy, possess, or use. This is as it should be. After all, Kratom is an herb with a great deal of meaningful positive effects. There are many reviews you can read online from people who say it has improved their health and enjoyment of life. It can be used as a natural alternative to prescription pain medications, as an anxiolytic, an anti-depressant, an energy booster and even a concentration aid.

However, do not expect any of the companies you purchase it from to be able to tell you how to use it properly to achieve these benefits. There are limitations in place for companies who wish to sell Kratom on the basis of FDA regulations. At present, Kratom has not been approved as a supplement by the FDA. Suffice it to say, the approval process for a new substance like Kratom would require at least $100 million and the market has up until now been too small to warrant this investment.

What this means is that it cannot be marketed as providing health benefits to its users, even though there is much documented evidence of this fact. The FDA prohibits substances that fall into a grey area like Kratom from being advertised for human consumption. That is why it must be sold as an ethnobotanical or a research compound as opposed to a dietary product. But of course, this FDA ruling does not prevent individuals from experimenting with this herb as they see fit.

Where to Purchase Kratom

There are numerous local stores and smoke shops that sell Kratom powders, capsules and extracts in Texas. A quick search on Google might even find you a retail vendor in your neighborhood that carries it. This is certainly a convenient route to go for many, but we do not recommend it due to the fact that you will almost certainly pay an outrageous mark-up on anything you purchase in a head shop.

The average price per dosage of Kratom leaf in brick and mortar stores will be around $5 – $15 while online you can order the same products at a price per dose of $0.50 to $2.00. Consider the popular OPMs Kratom capsules which sell in many Texas stores in packages of two for $15.95 each. Equivalent non-branded products can be purchased online for a fraction of this price.

Other concerns with buying locally can include limited selection, stale products and low quality. These outfits tend to target the “legal high” crowd and invest more money into branding than developing relationships with the best quality Kratom farms and cultivators in Asia. We prefer to steer individuals towards the online botanical retailers that may use less flashy packaging, but will offer you better quality at lower prices. Many of these stores will also ship to Texas either for free or at very low prices that may even compete with your gas costs.