A long-awaited kratom clinical study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. The pilot study (defined as “a preliminary investigation designed to test the feasibility and design of a larger, more comprehensive study”) involved healthy adult participants who were administered an ascending dose of …
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC), an agency within the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR), seized 1,006 OPMS liquid kratom extract products from 12 businesses that ABC claims contain 15.7% to 16.1% ethanol. Ethanol (the type of alcohol also found in alcoholic beverages) is used to extract alkaloids from kratom leaf to produce highly concentrated …
Kansas Authorities Seize Kratom Shots Containing Alcohol Read More »
Multiple news media and even medical professionals have repeated the claim that 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is “13 times stronger than morphine” as though it is a fact established through rigorous science. Where does this claim come from and how accurate is it? The claim comes from studies from 2002 (Takayama, et al) and 2004 (Matsumoto, et …
Is 7-OH Really “13 times stronger than morphine”? Read More »
UPDATED April 10, 2026: Multiple towns added Several American towns, cities, and counties have moved to ban the sale and distribution of kratom since the beginning of 2026. Some jurisdictions in Illinois and Mississippi moved to both ban sale and possession, criminalizing kratom consumers. This comes after last year’s announcement by the Food and Drug …
Local Governments Crack Down on Kratom as 2026 Bans Expand Read More »
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 »