Elizabeth Gardner, Esq. is a Florida-licensed attorney (since 1997) and a nationally recognized advocate for responsible kratom policy and consumer protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She has served as a dedicated voice for botanical and ethnobotanical business owners and consumers for more than a decade, combining her extensive legal experience with a passion for public education and reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms. Gardner began her legal career with the Palm Beach County Public Defender\u2019s Office, where she handled all levels of criminal trial cases. She later established her own solo practice, representing clients in criminal defense, family law, immigration, and foreclosure matters. Prior to entering the legal field, she worked as a Biology Laboratory Technician specializing in teratology, toxicology, and histology\u2014experience that continues to inform her evidence-based approach to advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A kratom consumer since 2011, Ms. Gardner successfully defended the world’s first kratom-related lawsuit as counsel for Scianno International Corp. d\/b\/a Purple Lotus West Palm Beach. She has testified before state legislatures and led lobbying efforts across Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C., advancing rational and scientifically grounded botanical policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, she was inducted into the American Kratom Association’s Legacy Hall of Fame for her lasting contributions to kratom consumer rights. As the organize of the North Carolina Kava Bar Owners Association of Distinction, she also serves as a National Ethnobotanical Law Consultant, providing regulatory and compliance guidance to businesses nationwide. She owns four active corporations, including three kava bars and tea lounges in central North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside her professional life, Elizabeth loves big dogs and Halloween, and enjoys exploring history, genealogy, archaeology, and culture. If granted a superpower, she would choose the ability to speak every language in the world\u2014reflecting her dedication to understanding and connecting with people across all cultures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Elizabeth Gardner, Esq. is a Florida-licensed attorney (since 1997) and a nationally recognized advocate for responsible kratom policy and consumer protection. She has served as a dedicated voice for botanical and ethnobotanical business owners and consumers for more than a decade, combining her extensive legal experience with a passion for public education and reform. Ms. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-735","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=735"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":737,"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/735\/revisions\/737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.botanicalae.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}