Kratom Legality by Country 2026

There is growing international concern about a possible threat to public health from kratom use. Read the product label closely and speak with a health care provider before using kratom. Kratom products are made from the leaf of the plant. The type of product, such as a liquid extract, ground powder, or tea, can also affect the chemicals naturally found in kratom. However, kratom products may still be available for purchase in many places. Ask your health care provider if you are not sure what ingredients are in a kratom product.

Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health

While 7-OH can be found naturally in kratom in small amounts, manufacturers have figured out how to supercharge it — boosting its concentrations in capsules, powders, liquids and edibles. That’s because kratom’s active ingredients — mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — bind to the same brain receptors as morphine and alcohol, triggering a rush of dopamine, the body’s “feel good hormone.” Available widely in gas stations and convenience stores across the US, the opioid-like substance is drawing scrutiny for its potent effects and high risk of abuse. These kratom consumer protection acts dictate how the product is made, how it is marketed, and who is eligible to purchase. Illinois, for example, has legislation under consideration that would make mitragynine and 7-OH Schedule III, which would restrict rather than outright ban the substances. While the federal government has floated the idea of scheduling 7-OH without any additional concrete action, states have been scheduling kratom much more quickly.

Major moments in U.S. kratom policy

• Shelves festooned with kratom powders, capsules, liquids and extracts greet customers at Tifton Tobacco & Vapor in Tifton, Ga.
• As long as manufacturers and vendors don’t make medical claims about them, kratom and 7-OH can be sold legally as far as the federal government is concerned.
• Federal regulators have been scrutinizing kratom for about a decade after reports of addiction, injury and overdose.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for consumption or medical use, but it is often marketed for its purported ability to treat chronic pain, opioid dependence, opioid withdrawal, anxiety, depression, and other disorders.
• At the federal level, 7-OH is not currently scheduled.

The legality of kratom varies by country and, in the US, by state. Desired effects range from a cozy, relaxed feeling to those of focus and clarity, though everyone experiences botanical substances differently. Both kratom and kava's active ingredients bind with receptors in the brain, impacting how we feel. If you have addiction issues, do not consume this product. Certified third-party lab testing ensures that your kava and kratom shots are pure, potent, and free from contaminants such as yeast, mold, coliform, salmonella, staphylococcus, E. Our Mood Boost Kratom & Kava shot blends premium kratom, kava, ashwagandha, L-theanine, and GABA for the ultimate balanced boost.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said poison centers have received a marked increase in the number of calls related to kratom, hitting a record high of 3,434 last year compared to 258 in 2015.
• The association supported US Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Robert Kennedy’s announcement in July 2025 calling for the Drug Enforcement Agency to ban 7-OH.
• But kratom has addictive potential, medical experts say − and getting hooked on it often carries devastating consequences.
• And when these people try to quit kratom, Filippone says, often they’re unprepared for just how intense the withdrawals can be.
• “Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH,” Makary warned.
• As of 2018, kratom is a controlled substance in sixteen countries.
• “For years, opponents of kratom have attempted to portray natural kratom leaf as a public health threat,” said Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy for the American Kratom Association (AKA), an association of kratom vendors.

Your health care provider may be able to help you stop kratom in a way that will reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions. If you have been huntington blogs using kratom regularly for a while, do not stop taking it without talking with your health care provider. This risk may be higher in people who use high doses of kratom regularly for a while. While less common, the most serious side effects of kratom are described below, along with what to do if they happen. There may be other side effects of kratom that are not listed here. The most common side effects of kratom are listed below.

These synthetic kratom products, which are often sold in packaging designed to attract youth, have been found to cause psychosis, seizures, insomnia, hallucinations, and death. (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 “active ingredients” in kratom—Mytragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine—interact with the same brain receptors as opioids.

“Despite our warnings that no kratom product is safe, we continue to find companies selling kratom and doing so with deceptive medical claims for which there’s no reliable scientific proof,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in 2018. The Food and Drug Administration tested 30 different kratom products in 2019 and found "significant levels" of lead and nickel in them, which researchers said could cause heavy metal poisoning if consumed over the long term. At higher doses, kratom can produce an opioid-like and euphoric state that has led to a steady growth of abuse worldwide, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. It wasn't until January 2024, after Kevin Oliveira had already been using the product for a year, that Botanic Tonics updated its back label to say kratom "can become habit-forming and harmful to your health if consumed irresponsibly."

trending now in US News

The Trump administration has given another sign that it plans to keep some “natural” forms of kratom legal under federal law. 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. Quickly after the Utah Legislature approved a partial kratom ban this year prohibiting adulterated kratom from being sold in the state, the company sued state officials in federal court, asking for a judge to declare the new regulations unconstitutional while arguing it contradicts federal law. More recently, the National Institutes of Health announced the approval of a groundbreaking human clinical trial evaluating whether kratom can serve as a treatment for opioid use disorder and help individuals reduce or eliminate dependence on more dangerous opioids. In a human dose-finding safety study conducted under FDA oversight, healthy adult participants consumed kratom doses up to 12 grams of leaf material without experiencing serious adverse events. Natural kratom leaf contains mitragynine as its dominant alkaloid, while 7-OH exists only in trace amounts.