Brandon Clarke said its just kratom His death has the substance under scrutiny. The Athletic

When you shop with kratompoint you save! The Rockefeller Institute will continue to monitor the kratom policy landscape as it evolves. Some variations of these kratom consumer protection acts have been introduced this session in states like Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming.

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For some people, the benefits may not outweigh the risks. Kratom may help relieve certain symptoms, but it may also have negative side effects. At higher doses, effects can last up to five hours. Kratom can have a variety of effects, depending on the individual, dosage, and other factors.

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The chemical, known as 7- hydroxymitragynine, is a component of kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia that has gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. American Shaman agreed to stop selling products containing a substance called 7-OH, the active element in the plant-based drug kratom. But the rise of highly concentrated synthetic derivatives like 7-OH has intensified scrutiny, with regulators warning that these newer products are significantly more potent than traditional kratom leaf. Ohio became one of the latest states to take action when Governor Mike DeWine issued an emergency order in December 2025 banning synthetic kratom products.

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• Some variations of these kratom consumer protection acts have been introduced this session in states like Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming.
• Amazing Botanicals — a U.S.-based kratom e-commerce company in business since 2014.
• “The bill is named in honor of Matthew Davenport, of Chattanooga, whose life tragically ended at age 27 in 2024 following a lethal interaction between kratom and doctor-prescribed medications,” lawmakers shared.
• Once dismissed as “unproven,” kratom is finally being recognized as a potential solution to one of America’s biggest health problems.

The office would not disclose whether it will test for kratom, though it has screened for the plant’s active components in past death investigations. That amount of kratom wouldn’t be considered excessive or unusual, said Mac Haddow, a senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association, a consumer group that advocates for states to regulate kratom, not ban it. There, the 235 grams of kratom and 7-OH deputies said they found inside Clarke’s duffel bag carried the weight of a felony drug trafficking charge, one prosecutors put on par with heroin possession. Beginning July 1, however, Tennessee will join two dozen other states in banning or restricting kratom. She can't even drive on the same street as shops that sell kratom − the pull of addiction is that strong. The pain of withdrawal has kept many people trapped in the cycle of addiction.

“This bill addresses the growing public health and safety concern surrounding kratom, often marketed as a natural supplement,” Helton-Haynes said. Tennessee Open Kratom now joins about eight other states in banning kratom entirely, including its natural form. But Tennessee legislators sided with caution this week, aligning with advocates who argue kratom in any form can ultimately lead to addiction and potentially deadly overdoses.

Americans most commonly use kratom for self-treatment of chronic pain and to help battle opioid withdrawal symptoms, he added. The concentrated byproduct has been linked to opioid receptors in the body, triggering the potential for abuse and various drug-related symptoms. In the United States, kratom is widely sold in forms that are often far more potent than natural leaves.

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Both kratom legality by state and 7-OH legality vary widely. In June 2025, the FDA also issued warning letters to seven companies marketing concentrated 7-OH products. This marked the most aggressive federal action in relation to regulating the use of kratom compounds since the failed DEA scheduling attempt in 2016. In July 2025, the FDA formally recommended that the DEA place 7-hydroxymitragynine on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The key is sourcing from vendors who extract naturally rather than synthetically in a lab, and who operate transparently in compliance with state regulations. Only mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, speciociliatine, and corynantheidine are currently known to be pharmacologically active.

Advocates for kratom say it has been a lifeline for many people who have struggled with chronic pain. One former MLS player who spent nearly a decade in the league said he thought of kratom as a healthy alternative to manage the pain of old injuries from his playing days. Alkaloids found in kratom bind to the same receptors in the brain as opioid drugs, such as codeine. Then Beutler came across a podcast where people shared their harrowing stories of kratom addiction. Fong says companies putting large amounts of kratom into otherwise innocuous-looking products has changed the game and made kratom more susceptible to abuse. A representative for Botanic Tonics, the company behind Feel Free, told USA TODAY its Feel Free Classic tonic contains only natural leaf kratom, with nearly undetectable levels of 7-OH.