American Kratom Association (AKA) strongly objects to Governor DeWine’s recent recommendation for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to schedule all kratom compounds, including the natural kratom leaf and its naturally occurring alkaloids, as Schedule I drugs. This sweeping action is not based on sound science and would strip thousands of Ohioans of access to a safe, natural product that has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia and safely consumed in the United States for decades.
The real and immediate threat to consumers comes from synthetic, chemically altered kratom compounds — including 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl — which have only recently been introduced into the marketplace without any scientific safety data. These synthetics should be banned. However, to lump natural kratom into the same category as illicit, synthetic opioids is a profound disservice to the truth and to the Ohioans who responsibly consume kratom as part of their wellness routines.
The facts are clear:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under the leadership of Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Brett Giroir, rejected the FDA’s 2018 attempt to classify natural kratom as a Schedule I substance, citing “embarrassingly poor evidence and data” and a failure to consider the broader public health implications.
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recognizes kratom as a potential harm-reduction tool, particularly for those struggling with opioid use disorder.
- Emerging peer-reviewed research has confirmed that kratom’s primary alkaloid, mitragynine, does not depress respiration – the primary driver of overdose deaths from classical opioids.
- Reports that kratom was a “cause of death” are based on deeply flawed post-mortem procedures that fail to account for polydrug use, adulteration, or improper toxicology methods. Even the FDA has admitted that kratom-associated deaths are “very rare” and when they do occur they are caused by polydrug use or adulterated kratom products.
- The FDA has conducted its own human safety study on kratom that concluded “kratom is well tolerated at all dose levels.”
Governor DeWine’s press release conflates the dangers of synthetically manufactured compounds with the natural kratom leaf. If Ohio acts on this reckless recommendation, it will punish responsible consumers, embolden the black market, and deny Ohio farmers and small businesses the opportunity to participate in a legal and regulated kratom marketplace.
The responsible path forward is clear: Ohio should ban synthetic and semi-synthetic kratom compounds that pose legitimate health risks while enacting a Kratom Consumer Protection Act to regulate the natural kratom marketplace. Such legislation is already law in 13 states and provides robust consumer protections — including age restrictions, product labeling, and prohibitions on adulterated or synthetic products.
American Kratom Association urges the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to reject this dangerous overreach, follow the science, and protect Ohio consumers by distinguishing between natural kratom and dangerous synthetic compounds.
About American Kratom Association (AKA)
American Kratom Association (AKA) is a consumer-based, nonprofit organization, focused on furthering the latest science as guidance for kratom public policy. AKA works to give a voice to millions of Americans by fighting to protect their rights to access safe and natural kratom. For more information, visit americankratom.org and learn more at kratomanswers.org.
Media Contact
Mac Haddow
press@americankratom.org
