New York Legislature Unanimously Passes Bill Banning Sale of Synthetic Kratom Compound 7-OH

Why it matters

New York traced over 100 deaths to kratom last year; unanimous bipartisan passage in the final hours of the legislative session signals that 7-OH has crossed a political threshold where both parties see restriction as necessary. Governor Hochul's signature would make New York the eighth state to ban these products.

The big picture

New York has been gradually tightening kratom oversight. In December 2025, Governor Hochul signed a bill requiring warning labels and ingredient disclosures on kratom products from the natural plant. The new legislation targets 7-hydroxymitragynine specifically — a semi-synthetic compound created in labs that can reach concentrations 13 times more potent than morphine, far beyond what occurs naturally in kratom leaves.

Key findings

• The New York Legislature passed legislation on the final day of the 2026 session to ban products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — the concentrated, synthetic form of kratom's active ingredient
• The bill passed unanimously, with bipartisan support from both the Senate and Assembly
• 7-OH products found in gas stations can be 13 times more potent than morphine; users can develop addiction requiring suboxone treatment to manage withdrawal
• Governor Hochul linked kratom to more than 100 deaths in New York in a single year
• If signed, New York would become the eighth state to ban 7-OH, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, Vermont, and Wisconsin
• One user described in floor testimony needed 200mg of kratom after starting on synthetic products — 40 times the standard therapeutic dose of 5mg

What they say

"This legislation, combined with the kratom labeling law we passed last year, will help protect New Yorkers from dangerous and highly addictive substances." — Assemblymember Phil Steck (D-Colonie), bill sponsor

Bottom line

New York's unanimous, bipartisan vote to ban 7-OH synthetic kratom products signals the issue has reached legislative consensus in one of the most populous states — and puts pressure on Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law.