Overview
- On Thursday, August 13, Massachusetts’ Department of Public Health issued an emergency order that will temporarily place all forms of kratom into Schedule I after a 14‑day notice period, giving local health boards new authority to remove products from store shelves for up to one year.
- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has filed notices to temporarily list 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) and related synthetic kratom compounds in federal Schedule I, which would make manufacture, sale and possession of those synthetics subject to criminal and civil penalties.
- San Diego County medical officials reported at least 31 deaths linked to kratom products since 2023, and local toxicologists say inconsistent testing and product adulteration—including concentrated or synthetic 7‑OH—likely mean more cases are missed.
- North Dakota’s legislative Kratom Working Group is leaning toward an outright ban on synthetic kratom derivatives while debating age limits, labeling and other guardrails for botanical kratom products.
- Public‑health experts and clinicians warn that the market’s wide potency range, adulterated items and rising poison‑control calls have led to severe withdrawal, overdoses and treatment needs, and officials urge naloxone access, clearer labeling, standardized testing and more research as enforcement ramps up.