At Least Eight States Have Now Banned Kratom as Legislative Wave Accelerates Nationwide

Why it matters

A growing wave of state-level kratom bans is reshaping access for millions of users, forcing patients who rely on the herb for pain or opioid withdrawal to seek alternatives — while raising questions about whether prohibition or regulation better protects public health.

The big picture

Kratom use in the United States has risen dramatically over the past decade, with more than 5 million Americans now reporting use. As synthetic versions like 7-OH emerged in convenience stores, states began acting — some banning all kratom, others targeting only concentrated forms. The legislative debate pits patient advocates and harm-reduction supporters against addiction medicine specialists and public health officials who warn the drug is driving a new opioid crisis.

Key findings

• At least 8 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin — have banned kratom as of mid-2026
• Hospitalizations linked solely to kratom rose from 43 in 2015 to 538 in 2025, coinciding with the spread of synthetic 7-OH products
• More than 5 million Americans have used kratom, including over 100,000 children ages 12–17, per a University of Michigan and Texas State University study
• Iowa legislators passed a bill to criminalize possession; Idaho Falls enacted a city-level ban effective July 1, 2026
• The kratom industry, led by the American Kratom Association, argues only 7-OH is dangerous, not natural kratom powder — a position critics call misleading
• Rhode Island reversed its kratom ban in April 2026, becoming the first state to move from prohibition to a licensed, age-restricted model

What they say

"Many policy makers seem to have fallen for the argument that all of the harms associated with kratom are limited to these 7-OH products and that the kratom leaf products are benign herbal supplements helping millions of Americans." — Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Director, Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Brandeis University

Bottom line

Eight states have now banned kratom and the legislative wave is accelerating, but the central policy dispute — whether to ban all kratom or only synthetic 7-OH — remains unresolved as states adopt sharply different approaches.