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.”

If last year’s men’s basketball standings are any guide, it will be a testing Atlantic 10 road for the University of Rhode Island in 2024-25. 

The Rams will visit both regular season co champions, the conference tournament winner and another team that won 21 games overall for single matchups. They’ll also play home-and-home with two other 20-game winners. 

Richmond, Loyola Chicago, Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s all await URI at dates and times to be determined. Massachusetts and George Mason will host the Rams and visit the Ryan Center at some point next year. 

More: After disappointing season ends, what’s next for Rhode Island basketball?

The Spiders and Ramblers both closed 15-3 in conference play while the Dukes ended an NCAA Tournament drought that stretched to 1977. They sent coach Keith Dambrot into retirement with an upset run through Barclays Center in March, leaving Brooklyn with an automatic ticket punched to March Madness. The Hawks followed a strong nonconference performance with just a 9-9 league finish, but they should remain among the favorites entering media day in the fall. 

The Minutemen and Patriots were part of a tight middle pack behind the leaders. Six teams finished within two games of one another — UMass tied with VCU at 11-7 while George Mason closed even with Saint Joseph’s and St. Bonaventure. URI counts the Minutemen among its oldest rivals, with the first meeting between the two schools taking place in January 1908. 

Saint Louis is the lone solo road trip for the Rams next season, and it could be a tough one. Josh Schertz is in from Indiana State to replace Travis Ford and has brought a host of Sycamore connections with him, including assistant coach and Rhode Island native Antone Gray. URI fell to the Billikens at the conference tournament last season to close a 12-20 campaign. 

Fordham and La Salle are the other two home-and-home partners for the Rams next season. The short trips to New York and Philadelphia should be competitive — URI went 2-2 against those two opponents last season, defeating the Explorers at home and winning at Rose Hill Gym in March. 

Dayton, VCU, the Bonnies, Davidson and George Washington travel to Kingston for single games. The Rams beat the Wildcats on the road as part of a 3-0 league start last season and blew out the Revolutionaries on the road. The Flyers offered a rude homecoming for Archie Miller, defeating their former coach by a comfortable margin in a place where he reached an Elite Eight and four NCAA Tournaments from 2014-17.  

URI has confirmed at least one other game on its schedule next year. The Rams will host Providence for the annual in-state grudge match on Dec. 7. The Friars have won three straight in the series, including an 84-69 home victory last season.   

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25