Matt Maddock, a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, posted a series of statements on March 18, 2026, expressing concern about recent legislative decisions involving cash payments and the regulation of kratom.
In his first post at 20:05 UTC, Maddock questioned Democratic opposition to a bill concerning payment methods. He wrote, “Someone help me. Why would these 27 democrats vote against a bill to require the state to accept cash payments? Seriously.”
Later that evening at 20:59 UTC, Maddock addressed another legislative issue related to kratom sales. He stated, “Every several years drug dealers devise something new. Today we passed a bill to stop Kratom, a psychoactive herbal opioid-like drug that kids are buying in party stores and 6 kids in Michigan have OD’d on it. All the dems voted to keep the sales going.”
At 22:47 UTC, he added another comment regarding his recent awareness of kratom. Maddock posted, “I didn’t even know about it until a couple weeks ago and all I have learned is very bad. Sad the dems vote to keep it available to minors.”
Kratom is an herbal substance with psychoactive properties that has been subject to ongoing debate over its safety and legal status in several states. In Michigan, there have been legislative efforts aimed at restricting its sale due to concerns about potential misuse among minors and reported overdoses.
Maddock’s comments come amid broader discussions about payment options for state services and regulatory measures addressing emerging substances like kratom.
