North Dakota Governor Expected to Call Special Session for Kratom Ban

Why it matters

A special legislative session in North Dakota would signal that kratom prohibition is gaining emergency-level urgency at the state level, coming just weeks after the DEA's federal move against high-potency 7-OH products. If called, it would be only the second special session for North Dakota's current legislative assembly.

The big picture

North Dakota has tried to address kratom twice in the past two years. A 2025 bill to schedule mitragynine as Schedule I failed by wide margins; a second bill pivoted to a study of regulations instead. Now, reporting from legislative sources indicates Governor Kelly Armstrong plans to bypass the slow legislative cycle entirely by announcing executive action and calling a special session in early September. The move comes as the DEA's July 2026 temporary scheduling of 7-OH concentrates has created political cover for state-level bans nationwide.

Key findings

• Governor Armstrong is expected to announce executive action and call lawmakers back to Bismarck for a special session on kratom, likely in early September 2026
• Legislative sources say the governor is prepared to push for a full legislative ban on kratom
• House Majority Leader Mike Lefor confirmed Armstrong told him a press conference on kratom was planned for the following Monday
• North Dakota's regular 2025 session failed to pass a ban, instead calling for a study of kratom risks and regulations
• The special session would be North Dakota's second of the current legislative assembly, the first having addressed federal rural health funding

What they say

House Majority Leader Mike Lefor told reporter Rob Port: "This is really developing rapidly."

Bottom line

North Dakota may become the next state to pursue a full kratom ban through a rare special legislative session, with a gubernatorial announcement expected within days.