A kratom crackdown is spreading fast across the United States. Several states are moving quicker and further than federal regulators to pull the herbal substance from shop shelves.

States Move Faster Than Federal Regulators

Massachusetts became the latest to act. On Thursday, public health commissioner Dr Robbie Goldstein issued a temporary emergency order. It places all forms of kratom into Schedule I under state law, the strictest classification available. The order also hands local health boards greater power. They can now act against retailers who keep selling the products. Some people nickname these products gas station heroin, given how freely they circulate through petrol stations and smoke shops.

North Dakota went even further. On 5 August, Governor Kelly Armstrong declared a public health emergency. He banned the sale, use and possession of all kratom products statewide, one of the most sweeping state level responses so far. A separate emergency rule from the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy targeted one chemical specifically. It classified 7 hydroxymitragynine, known as 7 OH, as a Schedule I substance for 180 days. Armstrong has called lawmakers into a special session on 2 September to write these kratom restrictions into permanent state law.

Florida’s Early Crackdown And The Federal Response

Florida moved earlier than either state. Back in June, attorney general James Uthmeier signed an emergency rule. It placed concentrated 7 OH and six related compounds into Schedule I. Products sold in Florida may now contain no more than one milligram of those chemicals per gram or per millilitre. The limit closes a gap that once let concentrated products slip through largely unregulated.

Federal action remains narrower than these state level kratom restrictions. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced on 1 July that it intends to temporarily place 7 OH and three related substances in Schedule I, according to the Congressional Research Service. Crucially, the kratom plant itself would escape this federal move, provided its natural 7 OH content stays below set limits.

Why Kratom’s Chemistry Fuels The Crackdown

Kratom itself is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, related to the coffee plant. At low doses it behaves like a stimulant. At higher doses it produces effects closer to an opioid. This dual nature is exactly why the kratom crackdown has gathered so much momentum among health officials.

That distinction matters. Raw kratom leaves contain only trace amounts of 7 OH. Yet manufacturers can synthesise the compound in a laboratory and pack it into gummies, tablets, powders and dissolvable strips. These products sell widely at petrol stations, smoke shops and online retailers. It is this manufactured, concentrated form driving much of the recent kratom crackdown, rather than the traditional plant itself.

Health Officials Warn Of Rising Harm

Health officials link these concentrated products to seizures, hallucinations, dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Since 2013, Florida medical examiners have tied at least 587 overdose deaths to these compounds, according to the attorney general’s office. That statistic has weighed heavily on lawmakers considering further kratom restrictions.

Dr Cory Howard, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at Tampa General Hospital, said the harm now stretches across every age group. He noted that the pattern affects Floridians from infants to the elderly, which speaks directly to how aggressively this drug is marketed.

His colleague, addiction medicine specialist Dr Thomas Nappe, described the toll on users. He said 7 OH causes severe dependence and withdrawal, requiring intense support to foster recovery. His comments underscore why prevention focused messaging has become such a central part of the response.

Dr Goldstein, the Massachusetts health commissioner, said many users simply do not grasp the danger they take on when they buy these products. He added that protecting the public matters as much as connecting people who need treatment with proper care and support.

Massachusetts, North Dakota and Florida have already acted, yet federal rules remain pending. More states are likely to weigh their own kratom crackdown measures in the months ahead. Awareness keeps growing around how easily these concentrated products reach young people through everyday retail outlets, and that pressure shows little sign of easing.

Source: dbrecoveryresources