Georgia kratom ban: State attorney general urges retail prohibition

ATLANTA - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr called on state lawmakers Friday to completely ban kratom from store shelves following a surge in emergency calls and fatal overdoses tied to the substance.

Warning over Georgia kratom sales

Why you should care:

Carr told a joint legislative study committee that Georgia faces an escalating crisis as kratom continues to line the shelves of gas stations and vape shops statewide. He warned that the existing Kratom Consumer Protection Act fails to protect the public from severe harm.

Carr asked lawmakers to take strong action and ban the herbal drug from store shelves across the state.

Family shares painful kratom tragedy

The backstory:

Pitter Goughnour testified that her daughter's life will never be the same after her ex-husband, Bill, died six years ago from a kratom overdose. She still holds video showing paramedics attempting to revive him after he consumed what he thought was a natural supplement.

Goughnour explained the deep personal toll his death took on their family. "This has hit me personally, he will never walk my daughter down the aisle," Goughnour said.

"He died two weeks before her homecoming," she said.

"When it was sold to Bill, it was under the false pretense that it was a healthy product, and it is not healthy," Goughnour added. "It is literally killing people."

Georgia attorney general demands ban

What they're saying:

Carr did not mince words when describing the dangerous lack of oversight surrounding retail kratom sales. "The core problem is this, consumers can't tell the difference between a lawfully registered, regulated product and something that can stop your breathing," Carr said.

"The same is probably true with the shop owners as well," Carr said. "Many buyers wrongly assume if it is on the shelves, somebody approved it."

Carr urged lawmakers to scrap current retail allowances and enforce strict state pre-approval. "I say you ban all Kratom-related products from the beginning, and those products should be presumed illegal for retail sale unless the state has affirmatively approved it," Carr testified.

Georgia overdoses and emergency calls

By the numbers:

At least four Georgians have died this year alone due to a kratom overdose.

Emergency medical personnel across the state have also responded to more than 315 emergency calls linked to the drug.

Legislative action planned in Atlanta

What's next:

Goughnour was among a long list of speakers who testified before the joint legislative study committee about the pros and cons of kratom. All of Friday's testimony is set to translate into legislation during the upcoming legislative session.

Carr also challenged convenience stores and smoke shops to pull the substance from their shelves immediately before lawmakers formulate new legislation.

Georgia PoliticsGeorgiaNewsFood and Drink