Ohio temporarily bans kratom-related products, permanent resolution pending
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced on Friday, December 12, 2025, that kratom-related products are now illegal in the state due to an emergency rule that bans the products.
Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia, and can often be found in the form of powders, gummies, pills and drinks, marketed as a way to manage pain, anxiety and even opioid withdrawal. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never approved kratom for medical use.
The Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 4729:9-1-01.1 makes all forms of kratom-related products, excluding products composed solely of mitragynine, illegal to sell, possess or distribute in Ohio, according to a news release outlining the ban.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, kratom was listed as a cause of death in more than 200 unintentional overdoses between 2019 and 2024. Nationally, poison control centers reported 1,690 kratom exposure cases in the first seven months of 2025.
A kratom-related product is anything that includes derivatives of kratom, except for products that contain only mitragynine. This includes, but is not limited to:
- 7-hydroxymitragynine, sometimes referred to as 7-OH
- Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl
- Dihydro-7-hydroxy mitragynine
- 7-acetoxymitragynine
Kratom-related products that only contain mitragynine, such as natural kratom in its vegetation form, are not included under the ban.
Retailers are encouraged to look for any products, including capsules, tablets, vapes, gummies, drinks and other products, that contain the above kratom-related compounds.
Anyone with any of the products on the shelves or in their possession is instructed to dispose of them immediately.
The emergency rule banning the kratom-related products is in place for 180 days.
During this period, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy will propose a permanent rule to ban all kratom-related products in the state, according to the release.
As for kratom-related products with mitragynine only, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is asking the Board to pursue the scheduling of mitragynine, the active opioid compound found in the natural kratom plant.
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