California Regulators Find Near-Full Compliance Among Retailers for Hemp and Kratom Product Sales
- California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licensees show a 99.33% compliance rate with regulations prohibiting the sale of illegal hemp products, based on 23,667 site visits.
- During these inspections, 158 violations were recorded and 7,403 illegal hemp products were removed from store shelves.
- Compliance for kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products is at 97.75%, with 181 violations and 7,888 products removed from 8,038 site visits.
- California issued a statewide warning in October 2025 against kratom and 7-OH products, declaring them dangerous and illegal, following new hemp regulations published in September 2024.
According to updated enforcement figures, nearly all of California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licensees that have been investigated by state regulators are complying with regulations prohibiting the sale of illegal hemp products. According to recent figures from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office, the state has seen 99.33% compliance from the 23,667 site visits to ABC-licensed businesses. Among those visits, the state recorded 158 violations and removed 7,403 products from store shelves.
“If a product is sold in California, people should be able to trust that it follows the law. We’ve made the rules clear, giving businesses the opportunity to comply, and we’re holding accountable those who don’t. That’s how you protect kids and consumers while standing up for responsible businesses doing things the right way.” — Newsom in a press release
The compliance figures for kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products totaled 97.75% over 8,038 site visits, which logged 181 violations and the removal of 7,888 products from stores.
California regulators in October 2025 issued a statewide consumer warning declaring that foods, dietary supplements, and medical drugs containing kratom or 7-OH are dangerous and illegal to sell or manufacture in California. The new hemp rules were published by the Department of Public Health in September 2024.