Kratom: Summary of State Laws LAPPA

Industry insiders and kratom critics say they are closely watching the medical examiner’s findings. The office would not disclose whether it will test for kratom, though it has screened for the plant’s active components in past death investigations. That amount of kratom wouldn’t be considered excessive or unusual, said Mac Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association, a consumer group that advocates for states to regulate kratom, not ban it. There, the 235 grams of kratom and 7-OH deputies said they found inside Clarke’s duffel bag carried the weight of a felony drug trafficking charge, one prosecutors put on par with heroin possession. Beginning July 1, however, Tennessee will join two dozen other states in banning or restricting kratom. She can't even drive on the same street as shops that sell kratom − the pull of addiction is that strong.

Director / State Public Health Officer

In June 2025, the FDA also issued warning letters to seven companies marketing concentrated 7-OH products. This marked the most aggressive federal action in relation to regulating the use of kratom compounds since the failed DEA scheduling attempt in 2016. The key is sourcing from vendors who extract naturally rather than synthetically in a lab, and who operate transparently in compliance with state regulations.

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Email us — we’re happy to share our cleaned feed with news outlets, researchers, and advocacy organizations. For state-level detail, see our state-by-state legality guide — including deep-dives for high-churn jurisdictions like Florida, California, Texas, and Michigan. Click a state to jump to its bills, or see the full legality guide. California enforces a de-facto commercial ban via CDPH rule.

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Some manufacturers isolate 7-OH through extraction, creating products with alkaloid levels many times higher than those found in natural leaves. If you're buying in Tennessee, the product must be derived from natural plant material. San Diego has banned kratom sales, while other municipalities have considered restrictions. Kratom is legal statewide for adults, but the state enforces age verification (21+), proper labeling, and the prohibition of adulterated products.

• A fact sheet from the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration explains that consuming the plant produces stimulant effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses.
• The chemical is naturally found in low concentrations in kratom, but when manufactured, 7-OH is exponentially more potent, binding to the body’s opioid receptors.
• They can help find a way to safely treat your pain with less addiction risk.
• But kratom has addictive potential, medical experts say − and getting hooked on it often carries devastating consequences.

Check out our Blogs for expert guides, wellness tips, and the latest news on Kratom and other natural herbs. With the case now closed, the kratom will instead be destroyed. The VR Kratom kratom inside Clarke’s car was awaiting testing when Clarke died. That’s why one kratom advocate was quick to point out that Clarke wasn’t arrested for “just kratom,” as he told deputies last April. That’s what’s happening in the kratom space right now.”

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• It’s known commonly as “gas station heroin» — an ultra-potent “natural breakdown” of kratom that’s lab made.
• But the substance is increasingly being used in foods, too.
• Many people also use kratom to self-treat symptoms of depression or anxiety.
• An uptick in 7-OH-related medical events has led the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to crack down on sellers of these products.
• If someone that used kratom is experiencing an overdose, call 911.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is still considering whether to ban natural kratom. The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved naming synthetic kratom as a Schedule 1 controlled substance in Ohio. A panel of lawmakers approved the permanent ban on synthetic kratom, which is not regulated but is marketed as a dietary supplement and sold at specialty shops, convenience stores and gas stations. A ban on synthetically modified versions of the Asian botanical herb kratom will take effect May 14, replacing a temporary ban set to expire in June. Once dismissed as “unproven,” kratom is finally being recognized as a potential solution to one of America’s biggest health problems. That same year, the FDA sent warning letters to four companies, telling them to stop marketing kratom as a treatment for opioid addiction.

The active ingredient in kratom is called mitragynine. Kratom isn’t technically an opioid, but its effects are similar to those of opioids, such as morphine or codeine. If you’re thinking about using kratom to treat depression or anxiety symptoms, exercise caution. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved kratom for the treatment of depression or anxiety. Although some evidence suggests that certain strains of kratom can help alleviate these symptoms, more research is needed. Food and dietary supplements containing kratom and/or 7-OH are adulterated pursuant to federal and state law.

But kratom has addictive potential, medical experts say − and getting hooked on it often carries devastating consequences. Many of the people we spoke with had no history of substance abuse before ingesting kratom. "You figure 'all-plant-based,' 'all-natural.' I didn't know too much about kratom. I did not know it was that addictive."