ATLANTA – State Representative Dewayne Hill (R-Ringgold) recently received the 2019 Recovery Champion Award from the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse. Rep. Hill received this award for his work on House Bill 551 during the 2019 legislative session.
“I am honored to receive this award from the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse,” said Rep. Dewayne Hill. “We spent last year studying the risks associated with the use of kratom, and through our work, we discovered the need for legislation to regulate this opioid-like drug in our state. It is my hope that this new law will ultimately save lives and help to curb opioid addiction in Georgia.”
House Bill 551, which was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp in April, regulates “kratom,” a tropical evergreen known as mitragyna speciosa that contains the alkaloid mitragynine. It is a misdemeanor to transfer possession to those under the age of 18, or for those under 18-years old to possess or buy it. Moreover, to sell kratom, the packaging must: clearly label ingredients; provide notice that the sale or transfer of possession to those under the age of 18 is prohibited; state the amount of mitragynine in the product; state the name and principal mailing address of the manufacturer; provide clear directions for safe use of the product; and note any precautionary statements to the safety and effectiveness of the product.
For more information on HB 551, please click here.
Representative Dewayne Hill represents the citizens of District 3, which includes the northern most part of Catoosa County. He currently serves on the Education, Human Relations & Aging, Industry & Labor, Interstate Cooperation, Retirement and Intragovernmental Coordination committees. He also serves as Vice Chair of Economic Development & Tourism Subcommittee on International Trade and Commerce.
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