Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has renewed his efforts to regulate kratom, specifically targeting synthetic compounds derived from the plant. Today, he urged the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to classify these synthetic compounds as illegal drugs through an emergency rule, as shared in an announcement on Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's official website. This move comes after a brief hiatus, during which DeWine awaited potential federal action on the matter.
Despite the push on synthetics, the Governor still harbors reservations regarding natural kratom. "In reviewing this issue over the past few weeks, national experts, including the FDA, agree that synthetic kratom compounds should be scheduled as illegal," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated. He further emphasized the health risks, including fatalities, linked to the natural form and has proposed that it be scheduled through the regular rulemaking process to "allow for hearings, testimony, and a deliberative process."
Kratom, not sanctioned by the FDA for consumption or medical adoption, has been associated with a myriad of claims, suggesting benefits spanning from chronic pain relief to opioid dependency treatment. Nevertheless, the substance bears a contentious reputation, especially when modified by underground chemists into more potent, addictive forms. These kratom-derived products allegedly carry risks like psychosis and seizures and have been marketed in ways that appeal to younger consumers.
Supporting the urgency of his request, Governor DeWine underscored the more than 200 unintentional overdose deaths in Ohio between 2019 and 2024 where kratom was implicated. Moreover, within the first seven months of 2025, national poison control centers were reported to receive 1,690 exposure cases related to kratom, a number already surpassing the entirety of the previous year.
The FDA has taken a stance by recommending the kratom compound 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) to be deemed an illegal substance under the Controlled Substances Act. In line with this, Governor DeWine is also prompting the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to consider an immediate ban on all synthetic kratom compounds, including future iterations, as well as preparing to regulate mitragynine, the active compound in natural kratom. The latter measure is to proceed alongside the legislative discussions already in the pipeline, offering a platform for community engagement and evaluation on the issue.
