Is Kratom Legal in New Jersey?

Although there have been attempts to ban Kratom in New Jersey, the substance remains legal in this state – at least for the time being. A new bill introduced in 2018 aims to criminalize Kratom due to some of its opioid-like effects. Whether or not it will be passed remains to be seen in the near future.

Is Kratom Legal in New Jersey in 2019?

As of 2019, Kratom is still legal to own, use, sell, and grow in New Jersey. Assemblyman Ron Dancer was the main supporter behind the 2015 bill that was designed to criminalize Kratom. His arguments, however, were overwhelmingly incorrect. Dancer compared Kratom to opium and heroin and proposed that the former is just as addictive and difficult to quit as the latter. He added that, if this natural herb was, indeed, healthy, it would not have been banned in Thailand, its country of origin.

Since then, researchers have shown that Kratom addiction is no more severe than addiction to coffee. After all, the two are part of the same family of plants. Furthermore, although Kratom can have some opioid-like properties, it does not have the same effects on the brain and does not present the same health risks. 

Finally, the fact that the herb was banned in Thailand and other Southeastern countries had nothing to do with the health of the population. On the contrary, the reason behind its criminalization was the it interfered with the opium market at the time and this was deemed undesirable by local powers. Overall, the bill was a perfect example of the fact that the public is not educated enough about the real nature and effects of Kratom. Unfortunately, many of the arguments presented by Dancer are still circulated, even though they were disproven on several accounts.

Although Dancer’s bill died in committee in 2015, it has once again been pushed for consideration in 2018. It is unknown at this point whether the bill has any chance to pass in the future.

Can You Buy Kratom in New Jersey?

At this time, you can still buy Kratom in New Jersey from local tobacco shops. This is, however, undesirable because small stores often go unchecked in terms of the quality of their products. Some even attempt to mislabel adulterated Kratom and other substances in order to turn a bigger profit in the detriment of the consumer.

We recommend that you buy your Kratom from an online kratom vendor you trust. We have sampled different varieties from dozens of vendors, but were never able to find a powder that lived up to the quality and consistency of The Golden Monk’s Kratom.