Iowa House Classifies Kratom as a "Hallucinogenic" Schedule I Drug — A Label Researchers Dispute

Why it matters

Iowa's House passed a bill classifying kratom as a hallucinogenic Schedule I controlled substance — a categorization that most pharmacologists and researchers say is scientifically inaccurate. The label carries significant legal implications and could affect how courts and other states view kratom going forward.

The big picture

Iowa's HF2133 passed the House 69-26 and now heads to the Senate. The bill joins several other 2026 state-level bans, but stands out for specifically using the "hallucinogenic" classification — a term at odds with the scientific literature, which characterizes kratom's active alkaloids as primarily opioidergic and stimulant in nature at low doses. The FDA has warned against kratom use but has not applied a hallucinogen classification.

Key findings

• Iowa's House passed HF2133 in a 69-26 vote, criminalizing kratom as a Schedule I hallucinogenic controlled substance
• Lawmakers narrowly rejected an amendment during floor debate — suggesting meaningful disagreement about the approach
• The "hallucinogenic" classification contradicts most scientific literature, which characterizes kratom's effects as predominantly opioid-like and stimulant at low doses
• The bill must pass the Iowa Senate before becoming law
• Iowa joins a growing group of states — including Connecticut, which enacted its ban the same week — moving to fully prohibit kratom

What they say

Iowa Public Radio reported that House lawmakers voted to designate the plant-based substance kratom as a hallucinogenic Schedule I controlled substance, after narrowly rejecting an amendment that would have charted a different regulatory path.

Bottom line

Iowa's use of a "hallucinogenic" classification for kratom is scientifically contested — and if it becomes law, it could set a legally and scientifically problematic precedent for other state bans.