A Republican Ohio Senator wants to regulate natural kratom products and ban the synthetic version, while Gov. Mike DeWine wants to ban all kratom products.
Ohio Senate Bill 299 would require those who sell, distribute and make kratom to register with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
The bill would also prohibit synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, limiting it to no more than one milligram in products.
Kratom products would only be sold to adults 18 and older under the bill.
Ohio Sen. Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Township, introduced the bill which had sponsor testimony Tuesday during the Ohio Senate General Government Committee meeting.
“This legislation seeks to establish kratom product standards, labeling requirements, age restrictions, and rulemaking so consumers can make more informed decisions and so we can protect young Ohioans from the risks associated with this substance,” he said.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and its leaves can be crushed and smoked, brewed or placed in gel capsules. Consuming it at low doses can lead to stimulant effects while high doses can lead to sedative effects. People often take kratom to treat chronic pain, opioid dependence, anxiety and depression.
The 2023 National Survey on Drug Use & Health estimates there are 1.6 million annual kratom users in the United States. Reported side effects of kratom include high blood pressure, confusion, seizures, weight loss, vomiting, dizziness, and drowsiness.
Kratom is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns against using kratom because of adverse risk effects such as liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.
The synthetic version of kratom, concentrated with 7-OH, is an opioid-like substance and over the summer the FDA recommended scheduling 7-OH products under the Controlled Substances Act. The FDA clarified they are not focused on natural kratom leaf products.
Poison control centers in the United States received than 3,400 reports about kratom use — including death — from 2014 to 2019, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kratom was the cause of death in more than 200 unintentional overdoses deaths in Ohio from 2019 to 2024, according to preliminary data from the Ohio Department of Health.
However, most deaths from kratom also involved other drugs or substances, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
During his testimony, Blessing talked about an Ohio man who took his own life this fall after his family said he became addicted to synthetic kratom and experienced severe withdrawal symptoms.
“The goal of this legislation is to prevent tragedies like this one from occurring by creating common-sense regulations that ensure product safety and protect consumers,” he said. “By treating kratom in the same manner as other botanical products, Ohio can prioritize public health while promoting consumer choice and supporting responsible commerce.”
DeWine called on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to designate all natural and synthetic kratom compounds as illegal drugs at the end of August, but paused his call for a kratom ban after talking with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“These modified kratom products, sold online and in stores, are essentially legal, over-the-counter opiates that anyone – including kids – can buy with just a few bucks,” DeWine said in an Aug. 25 statement.
It is illegal to buy, use or possess kratom in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Kratom is illegal in some countries including Australia, Denmark, Israel, and Japan, among others.
Similar kratom bills have passed in Utah, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, Blessing said.
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This story is republished from the Ohio Capital Journal. View the original article.
