US health officials crack down on kratom-related products

The FDA is pushing to add the opioid-like ingredient to the federal controlled substances list. “Consumers who use 7-OH products are exposing themselves to products that have not been proven safe or effective for any use,” the FDA warned. “7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. Experts warn that means they will have stronger effects — and a greater risk for addiction and harm. “That creates a dangerous, addictive cycle where kratom use increases the craving for more use,” Volpicelli said.

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Kratom is illegal in many countries around the world, including Australia, Thailand, and Denmark. At lower doses, mitragynine has energizing effects. Researchers have yet to examine whether side effects such as sedation can interfere with its purported benefits. Read on to find out more about the purported benefits and potential risks.

Retailers and supporters of natural kratom have said it treats pain and increases focus and energy with few side effects. Although it’s unclear if the president was referring to 7-OH or natural leaf kratom, it’s another sign the feds have turned over a new leaf on kratom. "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.

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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. Between 2020 and 2025, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner recorded 91 deaths in which kratom or its primary active VR Kratom compound, mitragynine, was identified as either a cause or contributing factor. “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.

Is Kratom Safe?

Kratom.org does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Kratom capsules are more expensive, usually around 38 cents per capsule — which works out to around $3.00 per 10 grams of powder equivalent. The most common potentiators are herbs like grapefruit, CBD, turmeric, watercress, or pharmaceutical agents. Kratom is legal in most US states, Canada, most of Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.

• Interested in more 7-hydroxymitragynine products (also known as 7 Hydro)?
• Dr. Kristin Martin, an addiction physician and chair of the American Osteopathic Associations Conjoint Committee on Addiction Medicine, said kratom is still an emerging area of research.
• Then there is 7-OH, which is found naturally in the kratom leaf in trace amounts, but is chemically or synthetically concentrated to create a potent opioid product.
• The group would also support a ban on synthetic kratom, he said, as long as it’s “properly defined” to capture the production of 7-OH and other chemical compounds.

In a small Phase One clinical study, NIH and University of Florida researchers will test a purified formulation of mitragynine on 32 healthy volunteers with a recent history of opioid use. 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. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak to your doctor about any health concerns you may have. “Doctors that we’ve spoken to … had said that this was essentially becoming an entry point into the fourth wave of the opioid crisis,” said Blumencranz.

Some states ban kratom outright, while others regulate it through consumer protection frameworks. Both kratom legality by state and 7-OH legality vary widely. 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.