Georgia House Bill 968 contains language that would add kratom compounds to the list of Schedule I controlled substances, and at the same time restrict the sale of kratom to over-the-counter sales in pharmacies. One problem with this bill: It is legally impossible. Under HB 968, the pharmacy sales provision for kratom is designed to allow …
Though no prohibition law has passed, California Governor Gavin Newsom is voicing support for the unilateral decision by his California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to declare kratom and 7-OH products illegal and confiscate them from retail shops across the state. Gov. Newsom tweeted this on Tuesday: I will not stand by while dangerous, illegal …
Gavin Newsom calls kratom and 7-OH “illicit and deadly” Read More »
A February 25 news report from WSBT-TV News on Fox out of South Bend, IN, reported on a Berrien County, Michigan Health Department warning about 7-hydroxymitragyinine (7-OH), failing to make the distinction between 7-OH and kratom. Berrien County lies directly to the north of South Bend on the Indiana border. “The Berrien County Health Department …
On Februrary 24, officials in Pike County, Illinois voted unanimously to ban the sale of kratom and criminalize citizens in possession of it. “I commend the local community and our state’s attorney for bringing it forward, just trying to get ahead of the situation,” said Pike County Board Chairwoman Reta Hoskin. This is the second …
Pike County is the Latest Illinois Locale to Ban Kratom Read More »
The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Nora Volkow, was the keynote speaker for this year’s Scientific Kratom Symposium. Hosted by the University of Florida College of Pharmacy at its Lake Nona research campus, the four-day event held from February 17-20, 2026, brought together roughly 100 scientists from about a dozen countries …
Fifth Scientific Kratom Symposium Held in Florida Read More »
Mohamed Gamiel, owner of Sarah Quick Stop and Liquor Corner Store in Tupelo, MS, has filed an appeal of the town’s recent decision to ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of kratom. The appeal was filed last week in Lee County Circuit Court. Gamiel argues in his appeal that Tupelo’s kratom ban is arbitrary, unsupported …
Tupelo Convenience Store Owner Appeals Kratom Ban Read More »
Under an emergency rule, it has been illegal to sell, possess, or distribute any isolated or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in Florida since August 2025. 7‑OH concentrations below 1% in kratom remain legal, which keeps plain‑leaf kratom legal in Florida. In September, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, …
Florida Man Who Media Claim Had “92,000 Pounds of 7-OH” Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge Read More »
In 2025, a new regulatory framework was implemented for kratom in the Czech Republic. The plant is now known as a “psychomodulatory substance”, a classification created for substances classified as neither pharmaceuticals, nor foods, nor dietary supplements. This specific classification is a new approach championed by former Czech Drug Minister Jindrich Voboril, and it could …
Tighter Czech Regulations Spark Wave of Negative Kratom News Read More »
A case series published recently in the Journal of Addiction examined 14 American patients of Community Medical Services, a healthcare company specializing in the medically assisted treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The patients were diagnosed with Kratom Use Disorder (KUD) (Sherrick, 2026). The very brief report does not get into specifics about kratom product …
Kratom Use Disorder Treatment with Methadone an Ongoing Practice Read More »
On Tuesday, February 3rd, the city council in Tupelo, Mississippi voted unanimously to ban the possession and sale of kratom. The push to ban kratom in Tupelo began in January 2026 with a petition organized by two local citizens. The movement was supported by an alliance between Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green and Jamie Concaid, …