Ohio Board of Pharmacy Defends Natural Kratom Ban Rule at JCARR Hearing as Legislative-Executive Battle Escalates

Why it matters

Ohio's contested effort to ban all forms of kratom — both synthetic and natural — has escalated into a separation-of-powers clash, with the pharmacy board defending executive-branch authority while legislators argue that only the General Assembly can impose such a ban.

The big picture

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has pushed for a full kratom ban since issuing an executive order banning synthetic kratom last year. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy followed with a recommendation to also ban natural kratom. The move is now being challenged in Franklin County Court, and a JCARR legislative committee hearing on June 23 saw Republican lawmakers push back on what they called executive overreach. Two bills in the legislature — HB 587 and SB 299 — would regulate but not ban natural kratom, though neither has advanced.

Key findings

• Ohio Board of Pharmacy director Cameron McNamee defended the natural kratom ban rule before JCARR on June 23, 2026
• A Franklin County Court has partially blocked the pharmacy board's kratom rule changes
• Rep. Jamie Callender (R-Concord) challenged whether the Pharmacy Board has constitutional authority to ban kratom without legislative action
• Two competing bills (HB 587 and SB 299) would regulate natural kratom but neither has advanced in the legislature
• Sen. Steve Huffman acknowledged the legislature's own failure: "We're here because of the inactivity of the General Assembly over the last 6 to 8 years"
• Natural kratom remains legal in Ohio while synthetic kratom is prohibited under DeWine's executive order

What they say

"We're probably not going to be back again until maybe November, December, and God knows if it'll get done then. In the meantime, people are dying and I don't want people dying on my watch if we can do something about it," said Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma) during the JCARR hearing.

Bottom line

Ohio's kratom debate has become a constitutional standoff between the executive and legislative branches, with courts now involved — and natural kratom still legal while the legal battle plays out.