Kratom cannot seem to get out of the political limelight this summer and in the latest turn of events, Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine has instructed the Ohio Pharmacy Board to designate it - both the natural plant and synthetic derivatives - as a Schedule 1 drug.

If successful, Ohio will be the first US state to classify natural Kratom and 7-OH as a Schedule One drug. To date six other US states have outlawed the leaf, which is often touted as a health supplement or herbal remedy, but only as a Controlled Substance.

Mitragyna speciosa, better known as Kratom, is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The leaves have been used for centuries by the indigenous people to aid productivity, as a cure for an array of ailments and for ceremonial purposes. The leaves contain trace amounts of the alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which have been scientifically proven to have both stimulant and sedative effects.

Kratom has gained popularity in the west for the exact same reasons it has been so popular in its native region. Users praise it for its wide-ranging health benefits, everything from better sleep health and increased focus, to pain relief and mental health improvements. To date, scientific research to back these claims is lacking. As such, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Kratom as a treatment for any medical condition.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in July it would move to schedule 7-OH - also known as synthetic Kratom - amid fears the alkaloid (in isolation is a very potent opiate) is being dangerously missold and misrepresented. Unregulated and frequently sold in corner stores and gas stations, 7-OH products often sit alongside natural Kratom products. However, the results of taking 7-OH can be very different from taking natural Kratom, where the 7-OH levels are minimal.

Preliminary data from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) documented more than 200 unintentional overdose deaths between 2019 and 2024 from synthetic Kratom products. 7-OH products often take the form of brightly-packaged edibles, gummies and shots, which are easily confused for candy by those not in the know.

“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,” said DeWine.

The American Kratom Association (AKA) is an advocacy organization which aims to educate producers and users of the leaf while safely regulating the Kratom industry. To date, 18 states have adopted the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA), a legislative framework designed to regulate the production, sale and possession of Kratom. While it does not support the unscrupulous production and marketing of 7-OH products, it is alarmed at the prospect of natural Kratom being the target of an outright ban in Ohio.

Mac Haddow, representing the AKA, said: “Overregulation of those very ethical businesses should be avoided, but for the bad guys, let’s get them out of there, because they’re ruining the integrity of the business in the Kratom industry.”

He added: “I’m against any business that is going to sell a product that doesn’t meet the criteria to protect consumers.”

Advocates of 7-OH, used by some as a natural alternative to OTC opiates, responded to DeWine’s order with dismay.

Posting on Twitter, one user said: “Prohibition of both plain-leaf kratom and 7-OH extracts is a bad thing. In both cases, they will lead to people turning to more dangerous opioids.”

Another said: “Our system has already turned their back on people suffering from chronic pain, disregarding their quality of life. Now the government wants to have us suffer more. This is total bull,” wrote another poster.

The AKA is asking Kratom supporters across the United States to contact Governor DeWine and the Board of Pharmacy to share their feelings and to appeal for the protection of natural Kratom by regulation.