The Evolving Kratom Policy Landscape Rockefeller Institute of Government

Natural kratom remains legal for adults, but enhanced products face scrutiny. The FDA's recommendation specifically targets concentrated and synthetic 7-OH products. The FDA draws a hard line between trace amounts in whole-leaf kratom and the concentrated versions showing up in gas stations and smoke shops.

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Because kratom has such potent ingredients, you should consult with your doctor before taking it or any other supplement. You should not drive or operate dangerous equipment if you use kratom. But there’s no approved use of kratom for these purposes. It has also been promoted as a remedy or cure for opioid addiction. In another study with rats, kratom supplementation suppressed hunger by inhibiting the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for appetite and cravings. In one animal study, researchers determined that kratom lowers corticosterone levels in mice.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today that he is calling on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to immediately designate all natural and synthetic kratom compounds as illegal drugs. The FDA's scheduling recommendation and most state restrictions target concentrated and synthetic 7-OH, not natural kratom. Current law regulates the sale of natural kratom while maintaining the ban on synthetic alkaloids.

• A federal judge denied the company’s request for an injunction on Monday.
• The FDA has stated repeatedly that 7-OH is not permitted in dietary supplements or conventional foods and that there are no FDA-approved drugs containing it.
• When isolated in its concentrated state, 7-OH, the active metabolite present in the kratom plant, becomes a highly potent analgesic.
• In November 2025, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department urged retailers to immediately stop selling the products, claiming that six recent overdose deaths in Los Angeles County were tied to 7-OH ingestion.
• But in the years since, the popularity of kratom — and its synthetic derivatives — has spread.

Several others have passed or are considering limits like age restrictions and bans on the powerful synthetic version. Food and Drug Administration recommended that 7-OH be federally regulated as a controlled substance. Officials with both the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Police Department said they don’t collect data on kratom-related incidents. In Massachusetts, kratom is sold widely at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops without restrictions. “It’s caused overdose, death, sickness, hospital visits from people thinking that this is marketed as an energy drink or something to help you with aches and pains,” said FitzGerald. Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.

• By taking these products you accept full responsibility for all it’s usage but not limited to any adverse events or health complications.
• “It’s caused overdose, death, sickness, hospital visits from people thinking that this is marketed as an energy drink or something to help you with aches and pains,” said FitzGerald.
• Once active, it prohibits kratom in the state, including powdered leaf, capsules, teas, and concentrated extracts containing 7-OH.
• This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Every kratom bill in every U.S. state, refreshed daily before markets open.

In one video, a CBD Kratom employee recommends an orange soda made with kratom extract to UFL players, extolling its pain relief capabilities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom to be used for any purpose and warns consumers of “serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder.” The kratom leaf is harvested from a tropical evergreen tree indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia and imported into the United States.

Food and Drug Administration, which issued warning letters to seven companies for illegally distributing products containing concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Intoxicating THC products and kratom will disappear from Tennessee store shelves at the end of the month, but hope for a Trump-backed psychedelic is on the horizon, all thanks to the Tennessee GOP. CDPH is collaborating with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to educate and inform California retailers about kratom and 7-OH products, which are not legally approved to sell or manufacture for consumption. CDPH continues to take action to remove products or raw materials containing kratom or 7-OH from retail facilities selling to consumers for consumption and from locations where these products are manufactured. Both 7-OH and kratom may carry high risk of addiction, especially for those already struggling with substance use disorders. They are chemically altered substances that carry potent opioid-like effects and pose an imminent threat to consumers,” Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy at AKA, said in a statement.

Avoid concentrated 7-OH tablets, gummies, and shots — those are the formats under the regulatory microscope. The FDA’s warning letters, Missouri’s lawsuit, and Florida’s emergency rule all center on isolated or enriched 7-OH in tablet, gummy, and shot formats — not on conventional ground-leaf powder and capsules. Legislation that would have made a permanent ban (including a proposed Schedule I status for 7-OH above a set threshold) did not pass during the 2026 session, leaving the future of the restriction uncertain heading into July. The FDA Alt Law has stated repeatedly that 7-OH is not permitted in dietary supplements or conventional foods and that there are no FDA-approved drugs containing it.

7-0H, or 7-Hydroxymitragynine, is a semi-synthetic compound extracted from Kratom leaves. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has used an emergency rule to classify concentrated 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida. Sign up for the latest news on dietary supplements and substances. Pressure necrosis requiring fasciotomy after kratom overdose. Constipation prevalence and fatigue severity in regular kratom (Mitragyna speciosa korth) users.

Over time, users can build a tolerance and face withdrawal symptoms, such as insomnia, nausea, muscle pain, irritability and even involuntary jerky movements, according to American Addiction Centers. “It can be especially risky when mixed with other substances or used in high doses, like we have seen in the drink ‘Feel Free,’” Volpicelli noted. Several states — including Alabama, Rhode Island and Wisconsin — have banned its sale and possession outright. Kratom is legal for adult use at the federal level, though the FDA hasn’t approved it for any medical purpose.

Be the first to know about new products, promotions, sales, and more! Check out our Blogs for expert guides, wellness tips, and the latest news on Kratom and other natural herbs. The Coleman Institute in Richmond said at the beginning of this year that 75% of their calls were related to kratom and 7-OH. RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia is cracking down on kratom and a stronger chemical compound linked to it after Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a new bill into law Tuesday.