If you’ve keeping up with our newsletters or even been to our website in the past 4 weeks - you know that Idaho was facing a total criminalization of Kratom effective July 1 2026.

HB864 sought to place Kratom alongside of heroin and fentanyl as a schedule I drug. Not only would this have shut us down but it sought to put consumers in prison with the most serious drug trafficking penalties.

Idaho lawmakers had never seen anything like this and many had not even heard of Kratom.

For perspective - if an issue gets 5 emails or phone calls - that is considered a lot.

Lawmakers said that they received over 400 phone calls. There is not a single Idaho State lawmaker that does not know both sides of the Kratom debate.

We are so grateful that our Happy Hippo family came together for our home state. This was a brutal fight over the past 4 weeks.

We fought off law enforcement, coroner offices, the Idaho medical establishment, rehabilitation, private prisons, and absurd misinformation that had a year head start on us.

Idaho is very conservative state and this was an uphill climb.

I want to reiterate -

This is true in every state facing a Kratom ban.

Kratom is in crisis nationwide due to legitimate public safety concerns surrounding high concentrated synthetic 7-OH.

Every advocate email, phone call, voicemail, social media comment - IT IS SO IMPORTANT to educate lawmakers. The grassroots, not the industry, is what keeps Kratom legal. Don’t assume that other Kratom consumers have the fight covered.

Because of your efforts - Kratom still remains legal for 2 million Idahoans.

We can’t thank you enough, Idaho has been saved for 2026.

- Chris (Founder)

On a personal note: Like the 4 weeks in September 2016 (attempted federal Kratom ban), I will never forget this past month and many people I met for the first time (many whom are disabled) who stood up for Kratom.

PS: While we are disappointed that the Kratom Consumer Protection Act did not pass, it was only three votes away from doing so. This narrow margin gives us a full year to work with lawmakers to refine a version that can pass in 2027. Our work continues even while the legislature is adjourned, as we are staying engaged to keep the momentum alive. It is also worth noting that our advocacy successfully stopped two ban bills that died in committee, as well as a third sneaky ban attempt that failed to even be introduced.