New DEA Scheduling of Kratom Opioids Doesn't Cover the Compound That Killed Her Son, NY Mother Says

Why it matters

The case illustrates a gap between federal scheduling, which targets only concentrated synthetic derivatives, and the traditional kratom powder still tied to overdose deaths and long-term addiction.

The big picture

The DEA's new scheduling of MGPI and two related compounds followed a wave of state and local kratom restrictions, but the action stops short of covering mitragynine, the primary compound in traditional kratom leaf. Advocates and grieving families argue that leaving 'pure leaf' products legal keeps a path open to the more dangerous synthetics regulators are targeting.

Key findings

• DOJ announced Aug. 26 that DEA is temporarily scheduling MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 as Schedule I substances
• Sandra Wilson's 31-year-old son, Randy, died in July 2025 of acute drug intoxication listing mitragynine, a compound not covered by the new scheduling
• Wilson says her son used traditional Maeng Da kratom purchased at convenience stores several times a day for 8 to 10 years
• The FDA has not approved kratom for any medical use and has warned of serious risks from kratom-derived products
• Wilson has testified before Dutchess County lawmakers considering restrictions on high-potency kratom products

What they say

"Leaving the pure leaf legal and available is a gateway to more synthetics," Wilson said. "It is not FDA regulated. There's no dosing. You don't even know where you are getting it or where it's coming from and what's been added to it."

Bottom line

**A mother's account of her son's fatal mitragynine overdose shows how new federal scheduling, aimed only at synthetic derivatives, leaves traditional kratom products entirely legal and unregulated.**