Kratom Bans by State 2026: Nine States Now Illegal as Kansas and Tennessee Join List

Why it matters

As of July 2026, nine U.S. states plus Washington D.C. prohibit kratom outright, with Kansas and Tennessee joining the list July 1 — decisions that directly affect millions of current users and reshape where legal access exists.

The big picture

Kratom occupies a singular gray zone in American drug policy: federally legal but subject to a growing patchwork of state and local restrictions. The DEA's July 2026 notices targeting 7-hydroxymitragynine above certain thresholds add a new federal layer on top of existing state bans. One state — not named by the source but described as reversing its ban — represents the first time any state has repealed a kratom prohibition.

Key findings

• Nine states plus the District of Columbia now ban kratom outright as of July 2026
• Kansas and Tennessee bans took effect July 1, 2026
• DEA published Federal Register notices on July 6, 2026 targeting 7-OH above specified thresholds
• At least one U.S. state has reversed a prior kratom ban — the first such reversal on record
• Legal status varies across three tiers: outright ban, state regulation, and unregulated legal

What they say

According to the RehabSeekers editorial team, which fact-checks every legal status against the enacting statute or agency regulation: "Everything traces back to a primary source. We verify every legal status against the enacting statute, agency regulation, or the state legislature's own record before we publish it."

Bottom line

The kratom legal map shifted materially in July 2026 — two new state bans took effect, federal action on 7-OH moved forward, and for the first time a state repealed its prohibition.