Grassley, Collins and Lee seek federal scheduling of whole kratom plant

Why it matters

Three senators are asking federal agencies to consider controls beyond the pending 7-OH threshold proposal. Their letter seeks review of the entire kratom plant, a broader request that could affect botanical products if agencies eventually act.

The big picture

The October 7 letter follows earlier calls to finalize the DEA's proposed temporary control of 7-OH. A Congressional Research Service update dated October 6 says that proposal remained unfinished, while temporary controls on mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 had taken effect in August. The senators' request does not itself change federal law.

Key findings

• Sens. Charles Grassley, Susan Collins and Michael Lee signed the October 7 letter to DEA Administrator Terrance Cole and Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas.
• They requested consideration of scheduling the entire kratom plant, all levels of 7-OH and other pharmacologically active alkaloids.
• The letter separately urged DEA to finalize its pending emergency scheduling order for 7-OH.
• The senators asked FDA for scientific and medical evaluations and a permanent scheduling recommendation covering the plant, its derivatives and specified semisynthetic analogues.
• They requested a written response by October 15, 2026; the letter is a policy request rather than a final scheduling order.

What they say

The senators wrote: "we encourage DEA, in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to consider scheduling the entire kratom plant."

Bottom line

The senators seek broader federal controls on kratom, but their letter creates no new scheduling restrictions.