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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
States aren't waiting on Washington to act on kratom. Massachusetts, North Dakota, and Florida have all issued emergency orders targeting kratom products — especially those containing the potent chemical 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — amid rising overdose deaths and severe health risks. The DEA's pending federal rule covers only 7-OH, not kratom itself, leaving a regulatory gap that states are rushing to fill.
States aren't waiting on Washington to act on kratom. Massachusetts, North Dakota, and Florida have all issued emergency orders targeting kratom and its most dangerous chemical compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), amid mounting evidence of overdose deaths, seizures, and severe dependence. Massachusetts placed all forms of kratom into Schedule I, while North Dakota went further by banning the sale, use, and possession of all kratom products statewide — and has called a special legislative session to make the ban permanent.
The federal response, by contrast, is narrower. The DEA announced in July its intent to temporarily place 7-OH and three related substances in Schedule I — but the kratom plant itself would remain unregulated as long as its 7-OH content stays within set limits. That gap matters because 7-OH can be synthesized in a lab and packed into gummies, tablets, and strips sold at gas stations and online.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Kratom products are widely available and heavily marketed, yet many users — and even some clinicians — are unaware of their opioid-like risks. The patchwork of state emergency orders highlights an urgent public health gap that federal regulation has yet to fully address.
