Tennessee — As kratom regulations continue expanding across the United States, Kats Botanicals is encouraging a broader national conversation around consumer education, product standards, and responsible retail practices within the botanical wellness industry.
The Tennessee-based company, which has operated for 10+ years in the kratom and botanical wellness space, says growing public discussion around kratom has increasingly blurred the distinction between responsibly manufactured products and the highly concentrated, improperly labeled, or unregulated items that often dominate headlines.
The conversation has intensified as Tennessee prepares to enact one of the country’s strictest kratom restrictions this July, prompting Kats Botanicals to relocate all kratom-related inventory and operations from its 21,000-square-foot Tennessee facility to Kentucky by the end of June.
According to Paul DiBrito, CEO of Kats Botanicals, the issue is more nuanced than many consumers realize.
“We believe consumers deserve accurate information and access to responsibly manufactured products,” said DiBrito. “This conversation has increasingly become framed in extremes, when in reality there are major differences between pure kratom leaf products, highly concentrated compounds, improperly labeled products, and the kinds of items commonly found in smoke shops or gas stations.”
DiBrito emphasized that Kats Botanicals is not arguing kratom is risk-free or beyond criticism. Instead, he believes much of the public concern stems from inconsistent manufacturing standards, misleading labeling, and the rapid emergence of highly potent derivatives that have changed how consumers and policymakers view the category.
“One of the biggest issues is that many people lump everything together under one label,” DiBrito said. “Products like 7-OH concentrates and unregulated formulations have cast a dark shadow over traditional kratom leaf products and responsible companies that prioritize testing, transparency, and consumer education.”
DiBrito recently spoke with WVLT, a CBS-affiliated news outlet in Knoxville, and expressed his concerns on what people will do without kratom available: “They might go back to rehab, and some people might black market it, so it’s really a huge cost to the state,” he said.
As more states revisit kratom legislation, Kats Botanicals says the broader industry is facing many of the same challenges previously seen in the CBD, vape, and alternative wellness markets: rapidly growing demand, uneven regulation, and widespread misinformation.
DiBrito, who has held numerous corporate leadership roles and led strategic vision across the CBD, vape, and botanical wellness industries, says outright prohibition often fails to address the underlying issues that created concern in the first place.
“When consumer demand still exists, removing regulated retail access does not necessarily eliminate the market,” he said. “What many responsible operators advocate for are stronger standards around testing, labeling, age restrictions, transparency, and education so consumers can make informed decisions.”
Kats Botanicals says many consumers incorporate kratom products into structured wellness routines and are actively seeking brands that prioritize quality control, ingredient transparency, and third-party testing. The company believes the future of the botanical wellness industry will increasingly depend on accountability and consumer trust.
As the regulatory landscape continues evolving nationwide, the company hopes discussions around kratom become more informed, balanced, and focused on practical solutions that prioritize consumer safety.
About Kats Botanicals
Kats Botanicals is a botanical wellness company founded in 2016 offering a variety of plant-based products with a focus on transparency, extensive testing practices, and responsible manufacturing . Headquartered in Tennessee, the company serves customers across the United States and advocates for consumer education and industry standards within the evolving botanical wellness market.
