The debate over kratom legalization in Arkansas has reached a boiling point, with advocates pushing for reform and lawmakers pushing back. The latest attempt to lift the state’s ban on kratom has failed in the House committee after initially passing the Senate with overwhelming support. The bill, known as the “Arkansas Kratom Consumer Protection Act,” aimed to regulate the substance rather than criminalize its use, introducing measures such as third-party lab testing and potency limits.
On April 7, the Arkansas Senate passed the bill 24-5, a significant step toward reform. But that momentum was quickly halted when the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee gave the bill a “do not pass” recommendation, effectively killing it without extensive debate. For many kratom advocates, including those personally affected by Arkansas’ strict enforcement, the rejection of the bill was a devastating blow.
One family at the center of the advocacy movement is that of Marshall Price, a man who died while awaiting a 10-year prison sentence for possessing just 200 grams of kratom tea powder. Price’s family filed a federal lawsuit in October 2024 over his death in the Greene County Jail, where he reportedly suffered severe injuries under questionable circumstances. The official account of his death first attributed his injuries to a fall—later revised to a “consensual boxing match” among inmates. Yet, eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage cast doubt on that claim, showing Price performing cleaning duties after the supposed fight, raising concerns about a potential cover-up.
The lawsuit alleges that Price was unfairly targeted, arrested during a routine traffic stop based on a fabricated offense, and held on charges that many states would not consider criminal. His death has ignited conversations about systemic failures in Arkansas’ criminal justice system—specifically regarding how inmates are treated and whether kratom possession should carry such harsh penalties.
Investigative journalists Eric Ferkenhoff and Valerie Bauman helped bring national attention to Price’s case through two published stories in Newsweek, exposing broader concerns about jail conditions and the treatment of inmates in Arkansas. As the lawsuit proceeds, activists and legal experts continue to push for accountability and policy changes that could prevent similar tragedies.
With the Arkansas Kratom Consumer Protection Act failing to pass, the state remains one of the few with an outright ban on kratom. Advocates warn that without regulatory measures, consumers will remain vulnerable to criminal charges—some potentially facing dire consequences, as Price did.
The fight for kratom legalization in Arkansas is far from over, and as families like the Prices seek justice, the conversation surrounding reform continues to grow louder.