Governor DeWine Calls on Pharmacy Board to Schedule Kratom Compounds as Illegal Drugs

Super Speciosa offers exclusive coupons, promotions, bundles, and discounts so you can save on your favorite premium kratom products. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The largest distributor of kratom products in Missouri has agreed to suspend all in-state sales of kratom and its alkaloids. Councilwoman Michelle Ziel-Dingman, who originally brought the kratom issue before the council, said it’s not ideal for localities to oversee the potency of products and all the factors that make them safe. Councilman John Radford said the city has no means to do a partial regulation of kratom products through the regular testing of store products.

That designation would make the substance illegal nationwide. “(The governor) doesn’t understand the people he’s going to put out of work,” Ingram said. “We’ve had a number of people in Ohio who have actually overdosed and died,” he said. DeWine said Ohio has already seen fatal overdoses linked to the substance. The order directs the Ohio State Pharmacy Board to hold hearings within six months on whether to classify 7-OH as a controlled substance — a move that would make it illegal to manufacture, sell, possess, or use in the state. Start with a small dose so you can monitor its effects.

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While this week’s kratom news focuses on concentrated 7-OH, our whole-leaf powder and capsules remain unaffected. Stick with transparent vendors that sell natural-leaf powder and capsules, publish lab testing, verify age (21+), and label products clearly. Food and Drug Administration, which issued warning letters to seven companies for illegally distributing products containing concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). The Board of Pharmacy is considering extending the ban to natural kratom too.

“I never heard of kratom until the day we lost him,” said Karen Davenport, a mother from Chattanooga who is advocating against the substance, working with lawmakers to get the bill passed. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has listed kratom as a "drug of concern." They cite a 2024 FDA study where 40 participants were given increasing doses of kratom leaf powder. Now, a company that claims to sell an Open Kratom all-natural form of kratom is getting a lot of scrutiny on social media.

‘Gas station heroin.’ Tennessee kratom ban bill now heads to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk

• L.A. County health officials are linking three local deaths to the consumption of that synthetic compound where alcohol was also present.
• Pain News Network is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit online news service for information and commentary about chronic pain and pain management.
• A representative for Botanic Tonics, the company behind Feel Free, told USA TODAY its Feel Free Classic tonic contains only natural leaf kratom, with nearly undetectable levels of 7-OH.
• Claims that kratom and 7-OH products can treat pain, anxiety and opioid withdrawal are unproven.
• Many people who descended into kratom addiction say gas station products sucked them in.
• A new regulatory framework allowing kratom sales takes effect in April 2026.
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I respectfully ask you to protect the community and support a ban on kratom.” She said her daughter didn’t use kratom extracts, only the loose leaf, and it still took her life. One individual from Meridian said her 23-year-old daughter died in Bonneville County in March 2025, from an overdose of mitragynine — the primary psychoactive alkaloid found in kratom. The ban does not prohibit the possession of kratom, only the sale. IDAHO FALLS — The city council unanimously voted to ban the sale of kratom within city limits on Thursday night. Kupihea's husband had a history of addiction to opioids and methamphetamines.

It is not a statewide kratom ban in Missouri unless the legislature, regulators, or courts act separately. If you ship to or live in Tennessee, plan accordingly before the July 1 effective date — easily the most consequential state-level kratom news of the month. Once active, it prohibits kratom in the state, including powdered leaf, capsules, teas, and concentrated extracts containing 7-OH. In state-level kratom news, Tennessee’s House Bill 1649 — known as “Matthew Davenport’s Law” — was signed into law and takes effect July 1, 2026. The biggest national kratom news this week came from the U.S.

“Instead of a mild opioid effect, people are developing significant tolerance and even overdosing.” “It’s still an opioid and can cause tolerance, dependence, and addiction.” “Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Moss says. While six states have banned the plant, four states (including Utah) have created regulations under the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). In the U.S., kratom is legal in nearly all states and not federally regulated.

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“In the past two years, I have noticed an increased number of people coming to my clinic for the treatment of kratom addiction,” Volpicelli said. Its popularity has soared in the US in recent years, with many turning to it as a so-called natural fix for pain, anxiety, depression and even to kick opioid addiction. 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. Whole-leaf kratom powder and full-spectrum extracts with natural alkaloid ratios generally remain legal in locations where kratom itself is permitted. Products derived through natural extraction from kratom plant material occupy safer legal ground in most jurisdictions. This approach keeps our products aligned with the regulatory distinction between natural and synthetic, while delivering the potency experienced users seek.

In a report marked "current as of December 12, 2025," the FDA states that "kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food." It’s known commonly as “gas station heroin" — an ultra-potent “natural breakdown” of kratom that’s lab made. If concentrated, those kratom extracts can produce stronger – and, according to McCurdy, riskier – products that are quickly absorbed into the body. Products range from powdered leaf, which most closely resembles the traditional use of kratom, to isolated extracts of active ingredients in the plant. McCurdy said one issue is the various potencies of products that all call themselves kratom.