Columbus, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine urged the Ohio Board of Pharmacy earlier this week to take immediate action to classify all natural and synthetic kratom compounds as illegal drugs. If approved, this move would make Ohio the first state in the nation to ban both kratom’s naturally occurring alkaloids and synthetic variants by scheduling them as Schedule I illegal drugs.
Kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia, is not recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as safe or effective for medical use. Still, it has been marketed widely in the United States as a natural remedy for conditions such as chronic pain, opioid dependence, withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Products containing kratom are sold in various forms—powders, pills, gummies, and drink products—both in stores and online.
Concerns Over Synthetic Kratom Products
As the popularity of kratom has grown, underground chemists have increasingly manipulated its compounds, creating synthetic versions with even stronger opioid-like effects. These products are frequently packaged in brightly colored wrappers designed to attract youth and are readily available for purchase. According to state and federal health officials, synthetic kratom has been associated with psychosis, seizures, hallucinations, insomnia, and even death.
“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 Governor DeWine. “There is no accepted medical use for kratom in Ohio, and it is an imminent public health risk. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy should act with urgency to schedule all kratom compounds and future alterations of them as Schedule I illegal drugs.”
Rising Number of Deaths and Exposures
The Ohio Department of Health has reported that kratom was identified as a contributing cause in more than 200 unintentional overdose deaths in Ohio between 2019 and 2024. The impact is not limited to Ohio; nationally, the FDA has documented cases of expectant mothers using kratom, leading to newborns suffering from neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
Poison control data further illustrate the trend. In just the first seven months of 2025, U.S. poison control centers received 1,690 reports of kratom exposure cases—already surpassing the total for all of 2024.
FDA Recommendations and Ohio’s Response
The FDA recently recommended classifying the kratom compound 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as an illegal drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Governor DeWine is urging Ohio regulators to go further by banning all natural kratom alkaloids—including mitragynine, 7-OH, and the highly potent mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MP). He is also calling for restrictions on all existing and future synthetic kratom compounds.
If the Ohio Board of Pharmacy follows the governor’s recommendation, every retail establishment selling kratom in Ohio would be required to remove these products from shelves. This would mark a significant step in the state’s ongoing efforts to address addiction, overdose deaths, and the broader public health risks associated with unregulated substances.
Governor DeWine emphasized that the issue is urgent and warned that failing to act leaves vulnerable Ohioans, especially young people, at risk of serious harm from what he described as “over-the-counter opiates.”
