A CDC MMWR report found kratom-related poison center reports increased 1,200% from 2015 to 2025. LA County linked six fatal overdoses to synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine, and California removed 3,308 kratom products from shelves in 2026.
Debatable claims
- ▪Kratom should be federally banned
- ▪Kratom has legitimate medicinal value and adults should be free to use it without government prohibition
Regulatory and enforcement response
- ▪California removed 3,308 illicit kratom and 7-OH products from store shelves in three weeks, achieving 95% compliance with the state prohibition
Fatal overdoses and risk factors
- ▪Alcohol was present with 7-OH in many of the fatal overdose cases, in addition to other medications and illicit substances
- ▪The LA County Medical Examiner identified six fatal overdoses associated with synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) ingestion in residents aged 18 to 40
Poison center surveillance data
- ▪7-OH demonstrates substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine and even morphine, despite being a minor constituent of natural kratom leaves
- ▪Kratom-related poison center reports increased approximately 1,200% from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025, with a marked surge in 2025
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