| Kratom legal status | Regulated (KCPA) |
| Kava legal status | Legal |
| CBD / hemp products | Legal (hemp-derived) |
| Psilocybin status | Prohibited |
Maryland has adopted a version of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), regulating kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) as a consumer product with labeling, purity, adulteration, and age (typically 21+) requirements. Kratom is not banned at the state level; vendors must comply with KCPA standards. The American Kratom Association maintains an authoritative tracker of KCPA adoption and amendments. Federally, kratom remains unscheduled by the DEA but has been the subject of FDA import alerts and warning letters citing safety concerns; the FDA does not approve kratom for any therapeutic use.
Kava (Piper methysticum) is legal for sale and consumption in Maryland with no statewide scheduling or sales restrictions. Kava bars (commercial kava-serving establishments) operate in many US states. The FDA issued a 2002 consumer advisory about potential hepatotoxicity associated with kava use; subsequent research has generally found risk concentrated in poor-quality preparations, but the advisory remains in place and informs the regulatory posture. Maryland may apply general dietary-supplement and food-safety rules to kava products.
Following the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol from Cannabis sativa containing 0.3% delta-9 THC or less) is federally legal and may be sold in Maryland subject to FDA dietary-supplement and food-additive rules and the state's industrial hemp program. Maryland may impose specific labeling, testing, or retail registration requirements on CBD products. Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, and other "hemp-derived" cannabinoid isomers exist in a gray zone: federally permitted by some 2018 Farm Bill readings but increasingly restricted at state level. Verify the current Maryland Department of Agriculture hemp program rules and any state-specific cannabinoid restrictions.
Psilocybin and psilocin remain DEA Schedule I controlled substances federally and are prohibited under Maryland controlled-substance law. Sale, possession, and use carry criminal penalties under Maryland statute. Some US municipalities have decriminalized possession through local-priority resolutions (Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Detroit, and others) but municipal decriminalization does not change state or federal scheduling. Verify any Maryland city-level decriminalization status separately.
Federal law sets the nationwide minimum age for tobacco and nicotine products at 21 (Tobacco 21, 2019). Beyond tobacco/nicotine, US supplement age-restriction is patchwork: dietary supplements under DSHEA generally lack statutory minimum-purchase age at the federal level. Maryland's Kratom Consumer Protection Act establishes a 21+ minimum purchase age for kratom products. Local municipalities may impose additional age restrictions on specific products (energy drinks, CBD, supplements with stimulant labels). Verify locally before retail operations.
Dietary supplements sold in Maryland are subject to FDA labeling rules under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA, 1994), requiring Supplement Facts panel, ingredient list, "dietary supplement" identifier, manufacturer/packer/distributor name and address, and the FDA structure-function claim disclaimer where applicable. Maryland may impose additional state-specific labeling, testing, or licensing requirements for high-risk categories (kratom, CBD, kava, sports supplements). Verify current rules with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Board of Pharmacy.
Once you understand Maryland's legal framework for a supplement, the next question is the underlying evidence and risk profile. See our deep guides on supplement-cardiac safety, plus per-compound guides for ashwagandha, turmeric, and other commonly-asked supplements via our article index.
Yes, with regulation. Maryland has adopted a version of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act regulating kratom as a consumer product with labeling, purity, and (typically) age (21+) requirements. Vendors must comply with KCPA standards. Federally, kratom remains unscheduled by DEA, but the FDA does not approve it for therapeutic use and has issued import alerts citing safety concerns.
Yes. Following the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived CBD (with delta-9 THC ≤ 0.3%) is legal for sale in Maryland subject to FDA dietary-supplement and food-additive rules. Verify state-specific labeling, testing, and retail-registration requirements. Hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoid isomers (Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC) sit in a gray zone, increasingly restricted at state level even where standard CBD is permitted.
Psilocybin remains DEA Schedule I federally. Maryland prohibits sale, possession, and use of psilocybin under state controlled-substance law. Some US municipalities have decriminalized possession; verify local status separately.
Federal law sets a nationwide minimum age of 21 for tobacco and nicotine products. Beyond tobacco/nicotine, US dietary supplements under DSHEA generally lack statutory minimum-purchase age federally. Maryland's Kratom Consumer Protection Act establishes a 21+ minimum purchase age for kratom products. Local municipalities may impose additional age restrictions on specific products (energy drinks, supplements with stimulant labels).
Claims about what a supplement or treatment does are only as good as the evidence behind them, and the sources below are the primary public ones. They are linked so a reader can check any statement here against the underlying research rather than taking this page's word for it.
This page summarises published evidence. It is not medical advice, and a reader's own clinician decides what applies to them.