Minnesota Raises Kratom Purchase Age to 21 as Poison Center Calls Nearly Double

Why it matters

Minnesota's new law is the state's first meaningful kratom regulation and addresses a specific concern: minors buying kratom products at gas stations and smoke shops with no labeling requirements. It comes as the state's poison center reported kratom-related calls nearly doubling year over year.

The big picture

Unlike Tennessee and North Dakota, which enacted outright bans, Minnesota chose a regulatory approach—raising the purchase age and signaling further labeling and licensing legislation in 2027. The American Kratom Association supported the age restriction, reflecting a divide within the industry between those who oppose all regulation and those who prefer consumer-protection frameworks over prohibition.

Key findings

• New Minnesota law raises the legal age to purchase kratom from 18 to 21 effective in 2026
• Minnesota Regional Poison Center saw at least 2.5 times more kratom-related calls from 2024 to 2025; 2026 is tracking to match or exceed that number
• Poison center tracking of 7-hydroxymitragynine began in early 2025 as a distinct clinical concern from botanical kratom
• Reported symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, agitation, and seizures requiring prolonged hospital treatment
• Sponsor Rep. Jessica Hanson plans additional legislation covering product labeling, licensing, and point-of-sale restrictions in 2027

What they say

"We've received at least two-and-a-half times the number of calls from 2024 to 2025, and we're on a similar trend in 2026," said Ryan Fuchs, associate medical director at the Minnesota Regional Poison Center. "We've already almost matched the number of calls from all of 2025."

Bottom line

Minnesota's kratom age-21 law is a data-driven, regulation-first response to a measurable spike in poison center calls—and the state has signaled it is not done legislating.