7-Hydroxymitragynine Legality: State-by-State Guide 2026

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.

Kratom Deals, Coupons, Promotions & Discounts

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.

• And when these people try to quit kratom, Filippone says, often they’re unprepared for just how intense the withdrawals can be.
• In recent months, dietary supplement companies that sell kratom have been urging the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on the products containing 7-OH, portraying it as a dangerously concentrated, synthetic form of the original ingredient.
• The FDA “demonstrated the exact kind of data-driven, proactive regulatory excellence needed to safeguard unwitting consumers across the U.S.,” said Ryan Niddel of Diversified Botanics, a Utah-based company that sells kratom supplements.
• The flagged products included tablets, gummies, drink mixes, and shots — formats the agency says are sometimes disguised or marketed as ordinary kratom even though they deliver a far more potent, concentrated compound.
• At a news conference July 29, the FDA announced its intention to crack down on products containing 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a compound naturally occurring in the kratom plant.

Yellow Kali Kratom Powder

Makary also made clear during that same news conference that the organization's focus is on 7-OH, not kratom overall. Some were health and fitness enthusiasts who thought kratom was just like any other wellness supplement. Maloney says she soon fell into a debilitating kratom addiction, one that eventually had her drinking upward of 10 kratom drinks a day. Federal efforts to schedule kratom have failed before, though the FDA has not greenlit consuming it or using it medically. A temporary ban on Ohio kratom sales was created by an executive order from DeWine in December and was set to expire in June.

Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine function as partial agonists at the μ-opioid receptors and antagonists at the δ-opioid receptors. White Rabbit kratom seltzer offers a unique experience that combines the benefits of kratom with delicious, bubbly refreshments. 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. “It is often used to self-treat and relieve pain, anxiety, depression, coughing or VR Kratom opioid withdrawals,” lawmakers said.

Takes time to drive to, enter the store, and shop

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.