Kratom: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing

Regulators place these products into different legal categories. Some products on the market even contain fully synthetic 7-OH, which has been manufactured in a lab. Some manufacturers isolate 7-OH through extraction, creating products with alkaloid levels many times higher than those found in natural leaves. If you're buying in Tennessee, the product must be derived from natural plant material. San Diego has banned kratom sales, while other municipalities have considered restrictions.

Are kratom and tianeptine the same thing?

“The compound itself, even though it’s present in only 1% of the plant or less, is really potent,” Moss warns. “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). Kratom is often marketed as a natural remedy—but that doesn’t mean it’s safe.

Feds to Study Kratom as Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

They’ve banned 7-OH and other “synthetic” versions of kratom, as well as natural leaf kratom, due to fears they can cause addiction and overdoses.. After years of demonizing kratom as an addictive, opioid-like substance with no approved medical use, federal health officials are finally acknowledging the herbal supplement could actually be used to treat opioid addiction. Though the legislature is considering more permanent solutions, Ohio has enacted an emergency rule, expiring in June 2026, that bans synthetic kratom products. States like Wisconsin, Indiana, Alabama, and Vermont had previously banned kratom, while states like Colorado and Mississippi had banned concentrated or synthetic 7-OH, allowing for the natural kratom leaf to continue to be sold. Trouville’s son Tyrell died of mitragynine toxicity in 2024 after, she said, he regularly drank kratom products and considered it safe and natural. 7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH, is a concentrated form of kratom, a plant-derived substance that has been commonly used for pain relief and as a stimulant.

Florida’s Emergency 7-OH Ban Expires June 30

He said the FDA wants to raise awareness about the opioid. Uthmeier used an emergency action to prohibit the sale of 7-OH and reclassify it as a Schedule 1 drug. State officials say about 5,000 stores in Florida are selling the substance. TAMPA, Fla. — An opioid that has been for sale in Florida will no longer be available. You don’t know how long the product has been on the shelf, much less where it comes from or how it was made. Your essential daily newsletter delivering trusted news, local insights, ways to connect, and can't miss programs from Boston and beyond.

It's important to check local regulations before purchasing or consuming Kratom products. Desired effects range from a cozy, relaxed feeling to those of focus and clarity, though everyone experiences botanical substances differently. Both kratom and kava's active ingredients bind with receptors in the brain, impacting how we feel. If you have addiction issues, do not consume this product. Certified third-party lab testing ensures that your kava and kratom shots are pure, potent, and free from contaminants such as yeast, mold, coliform, salmonella, staphylococcus, E. Our Mood Boost Kratom & Kava shot blends premium kratom, kava, ashwagandha, L-theanine, and GABA for the ultimate balanced boost.

If kratom is used with other stimulants, such as caffeine, its effects will be worse. Taking kratom this way may cause serious side effects such as liver problems and death. If you’re considering taking kratom in any form, recreationally or as medicine, it’s best Wi Doc to talk to your doctor about it. You can consume kratom by adding water to the powdered version of the plant.

Is Kratom Safe?

• That same year, the FDA sent warning letters to four companies, telling them to stop marketing kratom as a treatment for opioid addiction.
• It is worth noting that states have generally considered several bills related to kratom in a single legislative session that offer different approaches to address the rising use of kratom and kratom-related products.
• If you are dealing with chronic pain and are worried about addiction, talk to your doctor.
• We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.”
• Some people have reported that kratom can help with self-treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms.
• “We fully support regulations on kratom,” said Mac Haddow, senior public policy fellow with the industry group, the American Kratom Association.

"I think that what we need to do is, we need to figure out how to educate people. We need to get similar to what we do with cigarettes, alcohol, or cannabis. At this point, it needs to be, you know, warning labels about what it is and what it does," said Micah Sawyer, the founder of a Sonoma County non-profit educating youth about the dangers of substance abuse. The Department said alcohol was present in all cases, but that the decedents were otherwise healthy, "with no other substances identified as substantively contributing to their deaths." In November 2025, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department urged retailers to immediately stop selling the products, claiming that six recent overdose deaths in Los Angeles County were tied to 7-OH ingestion. They are often labeled as a dietary supplement to help with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid withdrawal.

The largest number of kratom bills that have been introduced this legislative session do not look to ban or schedule the substance, but instead add regulations for how kratom and kratom-related products can be made and sold in the state. 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. FitzGerald said he plans to draft a proposal that would ban synthetic versions of the drug, and potentially place age restrictions requiring ID at the point of sale for non-synthetic, or natural, kratom. As access to prescription opioids declined during the opioid epidemic, people turned to kratom as a legal, “natural” alternative. The Food and Drug Administration tested 30 different kratom products in 2019 and found "significant levels" of lead and nickel in them, which researchers said could cause heavy metal poisoning if consumed over the long term. KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Shaman Botanicals, LLC (American Shaman), the largest distributor of kratom products in Missouri, has reached an agreement with the state to suspend all sales of kratom and alkaloids, effective immediately.

States with full kratom bans (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Vermont, Wisconsin) prohibit 7-OH along with all kratom alkaloids. Six states ban kratom outright, several others cap 7-OH concentrations at 2%, and the rest allow sales with varying degrees of regulation. We ship to states where these products are legal, test everything through U.S. labs, and stand behind our ChromaPure extraction process. Check whether your state bans kratom outright, caps 7-OH concentrations, or has specific labeling requirements. At Real Botanicals, our 7-OH products use extraction methods to concentrate alkaloids while preserving their natural integrity.