Hosemann: It is time for Mississippi to ban all kratom products

Hosemann: It is time for Mississippi to. Hosemann: It is time for Mississippi to ban all kratom products.

Key points

• Lt, Governor Delbert Hosemann speaks at the Neshoba County Fair, June 24, 2026 (Photo by Frank Corder Magnolia Tribune).
• Dan Edney, Mississippi's State Health Officer, testified last Thursday that all kratom should be banned.
• Delbert Hosemann is serving his second term as Mississippi's 33rd Lieutenant Governor.
• Huntington Bank investing over $40 million to modernize Tupelo operations center, regional headquarters.
• Almost 80 percent of all kratom-associated deaths involve other substances, according to the CDC.

"When we know a substance carries serious risks, we have a responsibility to act, " writes Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann.

Recent student deaths at Ole Miss have saddened all of us. These young individuals will not see the next football game, the next wedding, or the birth of their future children. Their families and friends are left to live with a loss that cannot be undone. We must do more to prevent tragedies like these.

While the causes of these tragedies remain under investigation, the circumstances have brought renewed attention to kratom and kratom-like products being sold in Mississippi.

Synthetic kratom acts like an opioid and carries serious risks, including respiratory depression, memory loss, addiction, and depression. Its sale in Mississippi is banned. The purchase of non-synthetic, plant-based kratom is subject to regulations and restrictions under state law and is outlawed entirely by some Mississippi counties and cities, similarly to how alcohol is regulated. Products purchased at gas stations or other locations may be marketed as something else or may not be properly labeled, meaning consumers may not know what a product actually contains.

Dr. Dan Edney, Mississippi's State Health Officer, testified last Thursday that all kratom should be banned.

Almost 80 percent of all kratom-associated deaths involve other substances, according to the CDC. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics cites nitrous oxide, additionally known as "whippets, " as one of those substances. While nitrous oxide is legally available for legitimate uses, its misuse for recreational purposes can cause oxygen deprivation, brain injury, and even death. And so we ask: "Why?"

Peers say, "Just try this one pill." Or this package. Or this balloon filled with nitrous oxide. Everyone else is doing it, so why not? The answer should always be: "NO."

You will be respected for your response. If not, find other friends.

You are the future of Mississippi, and you are one of God's children. Respond as if your life depends on it. It particularly well may.

As a society, we additionally have a responsibility to look closely at the substances readily available to our youth and ask whether we are doing enough to protect the residents who live here. When we know a substance carries serious risks, we have a responsibility to act. It is time for Mississippi to ban all Kratom products. Regarding the Author(s).

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For now, hosemann: It is time for Mississippi to ban all kratom products remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.