As he considers whether to sign SB 72, Coloradans need Governor Polis to take a closer look. This misguided bill will hurt people trying to stay off opioids or manage chronic pain. But there’s still time to stop this law before it takes effect.

Colorado is losing more than five people a day to drug overdoses. That adds up to nearly 2,000 lives lost each year. We are in a public health emergency. Particularly in rural Colorado, where fentanyl deaths continue to surge, some patients have turned to kratom-derived products as a solution. Yet lawmakers just passed SB 72, a bill that risks making the crisis worse by introducing confusion, not clarity, into an already under-regulated space.

This legislative session was an opportunity for Colorado to lead with evidence-based harm reduction policy. Lawmakers could have passed thoughtful regulation to protect consumers and provide oversight for emerging tools like 7-OH. 7-OH is a compound found in small amounts in kratom, a Southeast Asian plant that’s developed a quiet following among patients seeking pain relief without opioids. Some patients say it’s the only reason they haven’t gone back to heroin. I’ve spoken to veterans with chronic pain who haven’t felt relief from anything else.

Over the same period that kratom-derived products like 7-OH have become more widely available, Colorado has seen a modest decline in opioid overdose deaths. Correlation doesn’t prove causation, but it’s worth noting: This shift coincides with a growing number of Coloradans reporting that these products help them manage pain and avoid more dangerous substances. It’s exactly the kind of trend that deserves study and careful regulation.

But the General Assembly rushed through a bill that creates a regulatory gray area. It redefines “kratom” to exclude any product with more than 2% 7-OH, but it doesn’t say how those products should be handled instead. Are they banned? Are they legal but unregulated? The bill offers no clarity, leaving patients, small businesses and law enforcement in limbo.

That kind of vagueness is dangerous, especially in communities where overdose rates are high and access to treatment is scarce.

I’ve spent my career in biochemistry, public health and cannabinoid regulation. I’ve worked in labs, policy settings and small manufacturing facilities. With over a decade in public health and substance regulation across Colorado, I believe the path forward is clear: regulate kratom-derived products responsibly, with dosage thresholds based on toxicology, age restrictions, testing and clear labeling.

SB 72 ignores those best practices. Instead, it punishes the responsible actors and empowers the reckless ones. Businesses that already invest in third-party testing, ingredient transparency and accurate dosing are now left without a clear path forward. Meanwhile, bad actors can operate in the shadows.

And while some may say this bill brings order to the kratom market, what it actually brings is confusion, which history tells us is a breeding ground for stigma, misinformation and harmful overreach. That’s why I’m urging Governor Polis to veto SB 72. The stakes are too high to get this wrong.

The kratom marketplace does not need chaos or prohibition. It needs clarity. The governor can still convene a working group of scientists, regulators, public health experts, and impacted communities to create real rules that protect safety and access, especially for rural and low-income Coloradans who are already struggling to find relief.

Colorado has led before on cannabis and psychedelics. We’ve shown the country what it means to regulate emerging substances responsibly.

We can do it again if we reject rushed legislation and choose thoughtful, science-backed reform.

As overdose deaths continue and treatment gaps remain, the stakes couldn’t be clearer. Lives are on the line. The governor should veto SB 72 and put science, not fear, at the center of Colorado’s drug policy.

Kyle Ray is President of Colorado Chromatography and COO of Blackstone Therapeutics. He holds a B.S. in neuroscience and biochemistry from Colorado State University and began his career in research at NYU School of Medicine. He has contributed to 10 patents and 14 scientific publications and served on Colorado’s Intoxicating Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Task Force, which helped shape the state’s Safe-Harbor policy.