Scranton Proposes Citywide Kratom Ban as Pennsylvania Lawmakers Consider Statewide Rules

Why it matters

Scranton's push for a citywide kratom ban — and a wave of similar actions across Pennsylvania — illustrates the regulatory vacuum left by the federal government's failure to schedule kratom, forcing local officials to address the issue piecemeal.

The big picture

Kratom remains federally unscheduled in the United States, leaving states and cities to regulate it independently with inconsistent results. Pennsylvania has four pending bills that would create a statewide regulatory framework, but none have become law. The proliferation of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products — which can be up to 13 times more potent than morphine — has intensified pressure on local governments to act before a full federal scheduling decision arrives.

Key findings

• Scranton City Council introduced ordinances in April 2026 to ban the sale, possession, distribution, and manufacturing of kratom and all derivatives, with penalties of up to a $300 fine and 90 days in jail
• Doylestown Borough in Bucks County enacted a limited kratom ban in March 2026, prohibiting sales to those under 21 and within 1,000 feet of schools
• Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board issued an April 2026 advisory barring kratom and synthetic kratom products from alcohol retail licensees
• U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan sent a letter to the DEA on March 27, 2026 urging emergency scheduling of 7-OH, describing it as up to 13 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than mitragynine
• Lackawanna County recorded two deaths directly attributed to kratom in five years, with multiple others where it was present alongside other drugs

What they say

We need clear, uniform regulation standards for manufacturing — concentration limits, labeling, age restrictions and enforcement — so that law enforcement, the courts and the public are all operating under the same set of rules. — Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher

Bottom line

Scranton's proposed ban and a growing wave of Pennsylvania local and state actions expose the fragmented regulatory landscape created by the federal government's decade-long failure to schedule kratom, leaving cities with limited tools.