SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois lawmakers are considering sweeping statewide regulations on kratom products, just months after Rockford enacted its own local ban on a potent synthetic compound derived from the plant.

Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-33rd) introduced HB4737, the Illinois Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which would create statewide standards for labeling, testing, and selling kratom products. The bill would also repeal the state’s existing Kratom Control Act and replace it with significantly stronger consumer protections.

Under the proposal, kratom retailers would be prohibited from selling any product intended for ingestion if it contains:

• More than 2% 7‑hydroxymitragynine in its alkaloid composition,
• Synthetic kratom compounds,
• Any controlled substance,
• Products marketed in ways “attractive to children,”
• Or forms that are combustible, injectable, or designed for vaporization.

All retail packaging would need detailed labeling requirements, including warnings for consumers under 21, pregnant individuals, and statements about potential habit‑forming properties.

Violations would carry penalties ranging from civil fines of $5,000 to $10,000, escalating to a two‑year ban from selling kratom after multiple offenses. Sales to anyone under 21 would become a misdemeanor, while selling kratom mixed with a controlled substance could result in a Class 4 felony.

If passed, the act would take effect January 1, 2027, and give the Department of Revenue authority to write testing and enforcement rules.

The introduction of HB4737 comes after Rockford’s City Council voted in December 2025 to ban all products containing the synthetic compound 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH), a concentrated kratom derivative that federal regulators have warned can be more potent than morphine. The city’s action followed months of debate and a recommendation from the Code & Regulation Committee to prohibit sales in vape shops and tobacco retailers.

On the night of the final vote, the council approved the measure, making Rockford one of the first communities in Illinois to outlaw synthetic 7‑OH products.

The compound, sold locally under names like Cloud 7, Mood Drops, and Plant‑Based Euphoria, had drawn concerns from physicians, city attorneys, and public‑health officials. Federal agencies have urged for 7‑OH to be classified as a Schedule I controlled substance.

HB4737 specifies that the State of Illinois would take exclusive authority over all kratom regulation, limiting the ability of cities like Rockford to impose stricter or alternative rules. The bill explicitly prohibits home‑rule units from regulating kratom manufacturing, packaging, labeling, or sales.