PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — In a blow to advocates who celebrated earlier this month when the R.I. General Assembly passed a bill to legalize kratom, Gov. Dan McKee vetoed the legislation on Wednesday citing health and regulatory concerns.

The veto means Rhode Island will not lift a ban on the herbal substance, which advocates have said can boost your mood, mellow you out and serve as a substitute to the addiction-treating pharmaceutical drug known as Suboxone.

The so-called Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which would have legalized the substance, passed both the House and Senate . But most of Rhode Island’s health care community opposed the bill , arguing kratom has addictive qualities, isn’t well-researched and lacks a regulatory system.

McKee ultimately sided with medical professionals, along with R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha, whose office was among the state agencies that asked the governor to veto the legislation, according to a letter to the General Assembly from McKee.

“Due to the overwhelming opposition to this act by multiple state agencies, the medical community, and the Office of the Attorney General, I cannot support this act,” McKee wrote. “I look forward to working with the sponsors, my state agencies, and stakeholders to review and discuss these issues and examine the manner in which other states have regulated kratom.”

Rhode Island is one of six states where kratom is illegal. The herb is legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

It’s not a controlled substance on the federal level, either, although federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration don’t approve of it. State Rep. Jay Edwards, a Tiverton Democrat who’s championed legalization in Rhode Island, said it’s unlikely the General Assembly will attempt an override of the veto.

Edwards said he was disappointed with the governor’s decision and vowed to renew his effort next year. “I will be working with the governor and his team next year to enlighten them,” he said, highlighting that Rhode Island is a national outlier for banning the herbal substance.

National advocates likewise decried the governor’s decision.

Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association, called the veto a “tragic outcome” and argued state agencies opposing the bill “misled the governor.”

“Rhode Islanders have been deprived of the opportunity to have a substance that when properly regulated is safe when it’s not adulterated — that’s what this bill would do,” he said, adding that the veto “continues to criminalize Rhode Islanders for using a dietary supplement that is not unsafe.”

Barring an override vote, kratom will continue to be a Schedule I drug in Rhode Island, which typically comes with harsh prison sentences and hefty fines for anyone who’s convicted. Kratom will remain illegal to sell, possess and consume in Rhode Island.

Despite the existing prohibition, a Target 12 investigation earlier this month revealed kratom is being sold behind the counter in stores across the state.

In addition to the state agencies that opposed the legislation, McKee pointed to federal agencies that warned against kratom. He also noted the new state budget doesn’t include any funding to pay for overseeing kratom legalization.

“The General Assembly did not provide any funding to effectively perform the duties as required in the act,” he wrote in the letter. “To properly regulate a new product, agencies need adequate funding to execute the requirements under this act.”

Eli Sherman ( esherman@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook .

Sarah Guernelli ( sguernelli@wpri.com ) is the consumer investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook .

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