Ohio Permanently Schedules Synthetic Kratom as Schedule I; Ban Takes Effect May 14, 2026

Why it matters

Ohio's permanent scheduling of synthetic kratom replaces a gubernatorial emergency order that was set to expire, giving law enforcement a lasting legal framework and signaling that the state's approach to 7-OH is here to stay — even as the natural kratom debate continues.

The big picture

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine first issued an emergency executive order banning synthetic kratom in December 2025 after citing at least 200 Ohio deaths linked to kratom between 2019 and 2024. That temporary order was due to expire in June 2026. The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) acted in April 2026 to make the ban permanent by designating synthetic kratom a Schedule I controlled substance. Meanwhile, a separate bill (Senate Bill 299) would also ban natural kratom sales to minors, though the Ohio Board of Pharmacy is still deliberating on whether to extend restrictions to the whole plant.

Key findings

• Ohio JCARR approved naming synthetic kratom a Schedule I controlled substance, effective May 14, 2026
• The permanent ban replaces Gov. DeWine's December 2025 emergency executive order, which was set to expire in June
• Gov. DeWine's letter to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy cited at least 200 Ohioans who died from kratom between 2019 and 2024
• Family members of a 27-year-old who died in November 2024 from kratom testified at the JCARR hearing
• Natural kratom advocates argued that synthetic 7-OH is chemically distinct from the kratom plant: "Bad actors are exposing one of the 50 alkaloids in kratom to harsh, toxic agents and creating 7-OH. It's not kratom. It's not natural. It's not a plant. It's a synthetic drug"
• The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is still considering whether to extend restrictions to natural kratom

What they say

"His brain was hijacked from kratom. He was shackled and bound to a toxic substance that children, adults, youth can purchase at a gas station and vape shops," said Susie Bullard, whose 27-year-old son Philip died in November 2024, testifying before the Ohio legislature.

Bottom line

Ohio has permanently classified synthetic kratom as Schedule I effective May 14, converting a temporary emergency ban into lasting law after the governor cited over 200 in-state deaths and grieving families testified at the statehouse.