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WASAVP's mission is to unite prevention advocates in Washington State to create safe and healthy communities by preventing substance misuse and violence.
Prevention Headlines
Kratom Policy Collaborative - pushing the state toward regulation
Washington is one of 16 states with no kratom regulations. The Kratom Policy Collaborative (KPC) — a cross sector group focused on kratom risks and policy — is working to change that through legislation planned for the 2027 session.
Kratom is a Southeast Asia plant whose main active compound, mitragynine, binds to multiple brain receptors. Low doses act as a stimulant; higher doses produce opioid like effects and can cause serious harm, including death. People use kratom for pain, mood, energy, or easing opioid cravings, but any reported benefits are anecdotal, not research based. The substance is sold in many forms and is widely available in convenience stores, gas stations, and vape shops.
One major problem with kratom is that many products are now enhanced with synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7 OH), a potent variant of kratom’s active compound. While a typical dose of natural kratom might contain about 1 milligram, some enhanced products contain up to 100 milligrams per dose. For some people, even unadulterated kratom is risky — but the enhanced forms pose serious danger to nearly everyone who uses them.
Kratom largely flew under the radar until a few years ago when the powerful synthetic versions of the drug showed up. In the last 18drew little attention, though the FDA did attempt — unsuccessfully — to block its import in 2014. Today, 12 states ban all forms of kratom, and 13 others ban 7-hydroxymitragynine or its synthetic variants.
Three kratom related bills were introduced in the 2026 legislative session, but none passed. Rep. Kristine Reeves (D 31st), the prime sponsor of HB 2291 — the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, has since convened meetings with stakeholders to refine the bill for reintroduction in 2027. The Kratom Policy Collaborative (KPC) is actively participating in these sessions.
Because kratom is not widely understood, the Kratom Policy Collaborative (KPC) has created three educational background documents. Use them to inform your coalition and community about kratom and its public health risks.
Kratom is a Southeast Asian plant whose main active compound, mitragynine, binds to multiple brain receptors. Low doses act as a stimulant; higher doses produce opioid like effects and can cause serious harm, including death. People use kratom for pain, mood, energy, or easing opioid cravings, but any reported benefits are anecdotal, not research based. The substance is sold in many forms and is widely available in convenience stores, gas stations, and vape shops.
One major problem with kratom is that many products are now enhanced with synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7 OH), a potent variant of kratom’s active compound. While a typical dose of natural kratom might contain about 1 milligram, some enhanced products contain up to 100 milligrams per dose. For some people, even unadulterated kratom is risky — but the enhanced forms pose serious danger to nearly everyone who uses them.
Kratom largely flew under the radar until a few years ago when the powerful synthetic versions of the drug showed up. In the last 18drew little attention, though the FDA did attempt — unsuccessfully — to block its import in 2014. Today, 12 states ban all forms of kratom, and 13 others ban 7-hydroxymitragynine or its synthetic variants.
Three kratom related bills were introduced in the 2026 legislative session, but none passed. Rep. Kristine Reeves, the prime sponsor of HB 2291 — the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, has since convened meetings with stakeholders to refine the bill for reintroduction in 2027. The Kratom Policy Collaborative (KPC) is actively participating in these sessions.
Because kratom is not widely understood, the Kratom Policy Collaborative (KPC) has created three educational background documents. Use them to inform your coalition and community about kratom and its public health risks.
New kratom educational materials from the Kratom Policy Collaborative (Click on the links below):
Kratom: Key Facts for Community Leaders (One-page overview document, front and back)
Kratom Brief - Characteristics, Risks, Challenges, and Solutions (More in-depth, eight-page document with sources and references)
A Modern Prevention Success Story: Regulation and Control of Mitragynine and 7-hydromytragynine in the United States, January 2025 - May 2026 (Very detailed 50-page report identifying what each state is doing regarding kratom regulation)
New!!! - Guidance for responding to changes in cannabis retailer advertising from passage of SSB 5206
Starting January 1, 2026, local
governments - cities, towns, and counties -
will take over regulation of cannabis retailer
trade name signs from the Liquor and
Cannabis Board (LCB).
This is a big change. Local governments
will enforce state rules and can also make
stricter regulations if they choose. The law
sets maximum limits on signage, but many
communities haven’t yet made local rules.
This is a chance for prevention coalitions
and community groups to help shape how cannabis advertising is handled locally.
Many people in public health or prevention may not be familiar with how sign rules are made.
Download "The Five Question Process: A Guide to Determining What To Do Regarding Regulation of Cannabis Retail Trade Name Signs In Your Community."
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