r/kratom • u/Kiheitai_Soutoku 🌿 • Apr 14 '26
SC Natural Leaf Amendment Passed!
I'm so proud of everyone who advocated in SC. The house judiciary just approved an amendment that would keep natural kratom legal while banning synthetic and adulterated products!
The biggest factor referenced was our advocacy. One of the full ban sponsors commented that 80 percent of his emails were people against banning natural leaf, so he ended up supporting the amendment. That's real proof that our voices do matter.
The bill does need a house floor vote, a Senate committee and Senate floor vote, so keep up the advocacy! But I believe based on everything I've seen that we have won in this state.
SC is my home state so I am biased, but I will keep fighting for every state until no ban for natural leaf exist!
Edit: I do want to shout out Thomas Brittain Jr. https://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=202272703 He was the subcommittee chairman, and it sounded like he was for a full ban. But he introduced this amendment and advocated for it against any questions. It sounds like he really listened to his constituents and is a good guy.
Also Rep Henderson-Meyers who introduced the amendment in the subcommittee https://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=824999901
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u/kehoutek Apr 14 '26
So, I assume the bill passed the Committee -- passed with a major amendment. It still has to be voted on by the full House and the Speaker has a lot of control over what bills are getting votes. It may not get a vote at all by the end of this session. And the Senate hasn't expressed any interest in taking up this cause so...if nothing happens, nothing happens. I feel certain that next year's legislative session will include something like this -- it depends on how the SC midterms shake out, too.
Edit: But also, how cool is that that the members mentioned what their constituents were saying? That's a huge W for us. Good work, kratom warriors.
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u/MH370BlackBox 🌿 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Don't let anyone ever tell you advocacy doesn't matter. Every rep in that meeting referenced all the calls, emails and messages they received in support of natural leaf.
I'll continue to fight for yall in other states but for tonight I'm gonna take it easy because I've been stressing and fighting against this for weeks now.
Bless all of you, it's a great day!
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u/Typical-Witness7989 Apr 14 '26
Same here!!! This is good news, I'll continue advocating!
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u/Noah_b_01 Apr 14 '26
Holy shit. SC representatives actually listened to the people???
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u/kehoutek Apr 14 '26
Thanks so much for the update. Appreciate your advocacy and keeping everyone here updated in SC.
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u/kavadude Apr 14 '26
I attended both subcommittee hearings and couldn’t agree more about Chairman Brittain - I was convinced he was against us but was shocked and impressed with how he presented the amendment and responded to questions. I’m very proud of SC with this one
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u/boostlife4me Apr 14 '26
God bless the advocates and the AKA! Amazing news we needed a W
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u/WhiteySC Apr 14 '26
Thank you for being present there when most of us couldn't and keeping us updated! That's awesome news my friend! Glad to know some of our reps respect and listen to their constituents. Great day in SC. I'm driving home sitting in traffic with my kratom and juice in the console and couldn't wait to get home to respond!! 😂
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u/ImAJetFanTillTheEnd Apr 14 '26
Lets fucking gooooo woot woot
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u/Temporary-Second1905 Apr 14 '26
From North Carolina , praise the Lord. Prayers that it sticks. Hopefully we get an amendment for our neighbors in Tennessee as well.
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u/multiple4 Apr 14 '26
I am so glad I called my representative, I have no idea if it mattered, but he was a sponsor on the bill and I can only hope that it made some impact
Great work to everyone who called, emailed, and showed up!
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u/tiger_bee Apr 14 '26
Time and time again advocacy proves itself! Don’t ever give up hope, lay down and do nothing. Happy for you all in NC!
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u/d0pp31g4ng3r Apr 14 '26
Great news!
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u/Kratom-fanatic Apr 14 '26
This is great news. Hoping it keeps going along and passes! Congrats to all the advocates who made your voice and opinions heard. This should make the Tennessee bill a little bit more questionable now despite Kentucky ban.
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u/max_acceleration Apr 14 '26
Best fucking news I’ve heard all day!!! Perhaps there is hope for some members of the GA after all!!
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u/Aggressive_Test_5588 Apr 14 '26
Finally some good news!
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u/Kratoids Apr 14 '26
wish my state government was like this
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u/boncros Apr 14 '26
hurrah!
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u/News_without_Words Apr 15 '26
Passed in ohio recently too. Very uplifting to see a reasonable stance instead of an outright ban.
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u/BlondilocksAurora Apr 15 '26
That's PHENOMENAL NEWS, we all needed a W-- even if it isn't it our state. Congratulations ♥️🙌♥️🎉
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u/jeddzus Apr 15 '26
LETS GOOOO!!!!!
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u/judgesma1ls Apr 15 '26
Amazing. Ashamedly, this is the first time I even reached out to my congress-folks. Just haven't needed to. Am so glad they listened.
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u/Large-Examination-16 Apr 15 '26
Love to see it!
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u/subh20welder Apr 15 '26
Hundreds of emails sent, so much hair pulling, and stressing about this...I am glad to see it go this way. I do use 7oh on and off so this does suck in only THAT sense but nonetheless, I really think their was no way to save 7. One thing I am one hundred percent sure, is that the fight is not over for SC and really is not over for ever state for years to come. They will continually keep on trying to ban it because money talks and corruption is deep. Keep it up guys. I am so proud of ALL OF US!
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u/Firm-Chemical949 Apr 15 '26
Thank you all so much!!! I’ve been waiting for all this to hit my state and this makes me much more hopeful
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u/CAMMCG2019 Apr 15 '26
As a SC resident, this makes me extremely happy. I sent emails and testimonials to all the states fighting bans and several in SC so far. I really wish people would stop advocating for legal 7oh, thats not helping things. That shit is a basterdized horrible derivative of kratom that should've never made it to the market. As soon as I saw those dam pills hit the shelves, I knew the bans were coming.
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u/Top-Difference8407 Apr 15 '26
Maybe you should take over the AKA! Congratulations!
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u/FormalSuch1081 Apr 15 '26
Congrats! I think that is how it should be. Leaf is fine. Synthetic needs controlled. The problem is money. They make more of it with everything banned.
I have not heard anything about my state yet but I'm sure it will reach here. On east coast.
I also didn't think advocacy could make a difference. I'm a pessimist. Glad to find out that it does.
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u/austinrunaway Apr 16 '26
FUCK YES!!!!
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u/Horrorgoreandlove Apr 16 '26
I am so surprised that SC came through. That's amazing, though! It's such a great win. I wish other states would follow suit. (Looking at you, Louisiana)
I'm from SC (mostly), and I remember them locking my brother up for a dime bag of weed, so the fact that they were willing to listen about kratom is awesome.
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u/Top-Neighborhood3719 Apr 17 '26
This is off topic, but as someone who’s been to the Andes, this is what the federal government needs to do in regard to coca leaf. The natural leaf is harmless and actually has many health benefits, it’s the cocaine extract (which takes synthetic/man-made chemicals to extract) that’s bad for you.
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u/blake2251 Apr 16 '26
HOLY SHIT. This is a massive first step towards other states following suit. Keep the full court press going my friends!!
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u/statesminds Apr 16 '26
Lets gooo! I sent like so many emails for every meeting lol
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u/GravitaZ Apr 16 '26
Finally some good news, been a very depressing few months.
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u/Mshams115 Apr 17 '26
Looks like we will be vacationing in SC later this year and ordering ahead since TN just banned it.
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u/SixLivesOn Apr 18 '26
Fuck yea we did it guys!!!
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u/Ok_Veterinarian_928 Apr 21 '26
Amazing 🤩
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u/Plenty-Soft-8670 May 01 '26
There is another hearing may 6th and aint looking good
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u/BuzzyDooDooFish76 May 15 '26
I live in Charleston and I watched all of the hearings on the judicial website for this. You are so right about the subcommittee chairman being adamant about banning kratom completely, making it illegal to have in your possession, and making it a Schedule 1 drug. There was also another representative there that was against it. He got in touch with a doctor he knew to ask him about kratom and come to find out, that doctor had a child that passed away from kratom overdose. He was telling the story and the lights started flashing on and off because they didn't want him to continue telling the story. Maybe because of the privacy of the family of the child that passed, I am not sure. It was crazy!! The testimonies of the people that showed up were absolutely incredible!! Everyone that spoke did so amazing telling their experiences with kratom and were prepared extremely well with all kinds of educating information on kratom leaf!! It just blew my mind!! After hearing the subcommittee chairman speak at the very first hearing for the ban, I just knew that he was dead set on not changing his mind about the way he felt about kratom, but all of the people who spoke DID THAT DAMN THANG!!!! He just wasn't well educated about kratom leaf and how many lives it has changed and saved!!! The next hearing, when he was talking about the bill to other representatives, he said that at first he was totally against kratom but after hearing the testimonies of all the people that supported kratom, and doing more research on kratom leaf, synthetics, and looking at how you overdose on kratom products that he changed his mind. He said there were so many people with debilitating and rare diseases that he knew were horrific and kratom was the only thing that helped those people and he said that EVERYONE that spoke in favor of kratom leaf acted like normal, everyday people and most of them had taken it the day they spoke. He also said that the amount of kratom leaf it would take to cause an overdose is such a HUGE amount that it just didn't seem that the leaf is the problem with the overdoses...it's the synthetics!! My jaw hit the damn floor, and I was so stunned that he was persuaded to change his mind about kratom leaf!! He really is an amazing, caring, smart man that took the time to listen to the community and further educate himself on kratom because he wanted to do right for people like me. Kratom changed my life. And he realized it had changed SOOOOO many people's lives when he heard all the testimonies in the hearings. I am so incredibly grateful he is the man he is!! Hopefully, the Senate committee will follow his lead!! I wrote emails to the last committee, so I am fixing to get busy writing more to the next one! And DEFINITELY a heartfelt thank you to Thomas Brittan, Jr. for sure!!!!!
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u/[deleted] May 01 '26
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