Overview
- The Drug Enforcement Administration filed to temporarily place concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) into Schedule I on July 1, 2026, which would make manufacture, sale and possession of targeted high‑concentration products subject to federal criminal and administrative penalties.
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier signed an expanded emergency rule in June–July 2026 that adds more 7-OH–related compounds to the state’s banned list and tightens state enforcement against these concentrated products.
- Health authorities have cited a sharp rise in harms to justify action, with the CDC reporting about a 1,200% increase in kratom-related emergencies from 2015 to 2025 and roughly 3,400 poisoning reports through 2025.
- Advocates, patients and recovery groups are urging comprehensive regulation instead of molecule-by-molecule bans, calling for mandatory testing, clear labeling, uniform age limits and a system to remove adulterated or mixed kratom products from shelves.
- The DEA proposal targets products that exceed numeric 7-OH thresholds and does not currently ban low‑7-OH botanical kratom, leaving legal uncertainty for leaf products and creating a patchwork of rules that could force rapid market withdrawals and uneven enforcement.