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California Dept of Public Health Seizes Kratom Despite Lack of Prohibition Laws

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Last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced it has seized $5 million worth of kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products, despite no law explicitly prohibiting kratom and 7-OH in the state. Grant Boyken of CDPH told SFGATE the products were placed under embargo “pending further regulatory actions”. Boyken cited California’s Sherman Food, Drug, …

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Study: Kratom alkaloid make-up dependent on genetics, environmental factors, and processing

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A new study published in Frontiers in Plant Science is presenting a clearer picture of how post-harvest processing changes the plant’s chemistry. The researchers from University of Florida and Oregon State University compared kratom varieties grown in Hawaii and Malaysia to see how factors like withering time, drying temperature, and harvest season influence alkaloid profiles—particularly …

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New York Assembly Introduces Bill to Ban Sale of Food or Beverages Containing Kratom

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Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson has introduced a bill in the New York General Assembly that would prohibit the sale, manufacture, or delivery of any food or beverage containing kratom or 7-hydroxymitragynine. The measure, filed as A9114, would take effect one year after passage, on January 1, 2027. Civil penalties would range up to $500 for a …

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Attorneys Target Kratom Companies With Growing Number of Lawsuits

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Throughout the 2020s, consumers of kratom products have been suing vendors for both wrongful death and deceptive marketing, including failure to disclose risks on packaging that resulted in adverse health outcomes. Recently, Rusty Webb, a personal injury lawyer from West Virginia, announced in media outlets that these lawsuits are about to ramp up. “I, along …

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Florida to Confiscate All Kratom with 7-OH Not Listed in Parts Per Million on Package

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On September 18m Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced a new rule enacted by the state of Florida: the amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in all kratom products must be expressed on the package in parts per million (ppm). Last week, Simpson tweeted that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has been removing …

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7-OH Not Primary Cause of LA County Deaths Despite Headlines

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Last week’s news was filled with reports of three deaths in Los Angeles County attributed to 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) overdose. The Global Kratom Coalition, a lobbying group that supports 7-OH prohibition that is sponsored in part by kratom vendors, tweeted, “The alarm has been sounded on concentrated synthetic 7-OH opioid products. This tragedy in LA County …

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Review Finds Insufficient Evidence of Severe Health Risks From Kratom Alone

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Important to note: This does NOT mean severe health risks from kratom alone do not exist. There is a toxic amount of any substance that can be ingested, including kratom. The majority, but not all, of toxic adverse events associated with kratom have involved other substances, as well as substance misuse in general. Kratom should …

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Florida Seizes Leaf Kratom and Kratom Extracts in 7-OH Sweep

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On August 13, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that 7-hydroxymitragynine would immediately become a Schedule I substance under an emergency rule. “Due to the danger posed to the public, Florida is taking 7-OH off the shelves immediately,” he announced. On September 8, Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced on X that the Florida Department …

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Florida Officials Cite Bodily Autonomy on Vaccines, Not 7-OH

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Florida is now enforcing its ban on 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), following an emergency rule by the attorney general classifying 7-OH as a Schedule I substance. Since August 14, 2025, any product containing more than 400 parts per million of 7-OH is now just as illegal as heroin and fentanyl analogs. Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced …

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