California Senate Health Committee Releases Comprehensive Review of Kratom and 7-OH Safety Risks

Why it matters

This government document provides the most rigorous recent state-level policy review of kratom and 7-OH, confirming that 30 states now regulate these substances while noting California's enforcement gaps remain significant despite existing food law that technically prohibits kratom sales.

The big picture

The California Senate Committee on Health held an informational hearing on February 18, 2026, examining the science and regulation of kratom and its more potent derivative 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). A background paper published for the hearing documents a threefold increase in kratom-related fatalities in DEA toxicology data from 2023–2025 compared to the prior three-year period, and also identifies MGM-15 — a semi-synthetic kratom compound more potent than 7-OH — as a newly emerging product on consumer markets. California already bans kratom under the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, but enforcement remains inadequate.

Key findings

• As of January 2026, 30 states and the District of Columbia regulate kratom or its alkaloids in some form
• 7-OH is pharmacologically 350 times more potent than mitragynine as an analgesic and more potent than morphine in animal models
• DEA Toxicology Testing data shows a threefold increase in kratom-related fatalities from 2023–2025 compared to the previous three years
• California law already prohibits kratom sales under the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, but enforcement gaps are widespread
• MGM-15, a semi-synthetic kratom derivative more potent than 7-OH, has emerged on consumer markets as of 2025

What they say

California Senate Health Committee staff noted that "the proliferation of kratom and products containing kratom derivatives, paired with a regulatory gray area and enforcement gaps, have made these products readily available to Californians" despite being deemed unlawful by both the FDA and the California Department of Public Health.

Bottom line

California's own legislative analysis confirms that kratom, 7-OH, and the newly emergent MGM-15 compound are widely available despite existing bans — and the threefold rise in kratom fatalities in federal toxicology data makes stronger enforcement an urgent public health priority.