Search “kratom” and you get five different kinds of product under one name.
One is a leaf the federal government doesn’t control. Another is a lab-made tablet. And since 26 August 2026, three kratom-derived compounds sit in federal Schedule I.
So what is kratom? It’s the leaf of a Southeast Asian tree. Everything else sold under its name is a different thing, with different risks and different laws. This page sorts out which is which, what the studies show, what can go wrong and where it’s legal.
No dosing advice. Every health claim gets a grade.
What is kratom?
Kratom is the leaf of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree in the coffee family. It grows in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and it can top 50 feet.
For generations, farmers and laborers there chewed fresh leaves or brewed them as tea to get through tiring work. People describe a stimulant-like lift from small amounts. Larger amounts feel more like an opioid. Preliminary That comes from user reports and an official summary of them.
Dutch botanist Pieter Korthals named the genus in 1839, after the mitre-shaped stigmas of its flower. Thailand restricted the plant in 1943 and took it off its narcotics list in 2021.
What’s actually sold as kratom?
The word covers more than the leaf. Here’s the split, with federal status as of October 2026.
| Product | What it is | Federal status |
|---|---|---|
| Leaf powder, capsules, tea | Ground leaf. Mitragynine is the main alkaloid, and 7-OH is a minor one. | Not controlledFDA says it isn’t lawful as a drug, dietary supplement or food additive. |
| Extracts, shots, tonics | Concentrated alkaloids. Mitragynine runs from 0.7% to 38.7% across products. | Same FDA positionSome states cap or ban them. |
| 7-OH tablets, films, gummies | Lab-made 7-OH. It isn’t leaf. In one study, 92% of the 7-OH-only products were sold as “kratom.” | Not scheduled yetDEA notice of intent, 14 October 2026. |
| MP (“pseudo”), MGM-15, MGM-16 | More lab-made compounds, sold after the 7-OH crackdowns. | Schedule ITemporary order, 26 August 2026 to 26 August 2028. |
| Vapes, strips, pouches | Mostly 7-OH. In a review of 49 products, most lacked child-resistant packaging. | Treated as 7-OHRegulators rank non-swallowed routes higher risk. |
Everything below is about leaf unless it says otherwise. 7-OH, MP and MGM aren’t kratom, and this site doesn’t recommend them.
How does kratom work in the body?
Leaf holds dozens of alkaloids. Two do most of the work.
- Mitragynine is the main one. It binds opioid receptors, but as a partial agonist, so it only turns them part of the way on. It also touches adrenergic receptors.
- 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a minor one. Your liver also makes it from mitragynine, using an enzyme called CYP3A. It grips the mu-opioid receptor much harder, and in animals it drives much of the pain effect.
Established Lab and animal work agrees on the mechanism. Picture a dimmer switch.
Full opioid agonist (morphine, oxycodone)Pushes the receptor all the way on.
Kratom’s two main alkaloidsPartial agonists. They turn the receptor on part of the way.
Both alkaloids also lean toward one signaling path (G-protein) and away from another (beta-arrestin). Researchers have studied that bias as a route to safer painkillers. It’s a hypothesis, and it isn’t proven in people.
A dimmer isn’t a safe switch
In rats, injected 7-OH slowed breathing at 4.5 times morphine’s potency, and naloxone reversed it, while mitragynine sped breathing up. Animal That’s animal data, so it doesn’t settle anything for people, but it’s why “partial agonist” doesn’t mean “safe.”
Do red, green and white kratom really differ?
Vendors say yes. Red relaxes, white energizes, green sits in the middle.
In 2023, researchers compared lab reports for six strains from one vendor, three batches each. Mitragynine ran from 1.40% to 1.56% across red, green and white. There was no real difference (p = 0.36). Three other alkaloids and the total didn’t differ either. Preliminary
All six strains landed between 1.40% and 1.56% mitragynine.
The 644 people surveyed, mostly that vendor’s customers, still described each color the way the marketing does. Marketing named the colors. Chemistry didn’t.
Two field studies of Thai trees found that red-veined and green-veined trees make similar alkaloids. What does move the numbers is leaf age, season, geography and drying. In one Thai district, mitragynine ran from 0.74% in the rainy season to 4.94% in late summer.
The limits are one vendor, and 7-OH wasn’t measured. The studies above don’t test named strains such as Maeng Da or Bali across vendors. So when a label promises a color’s effect, you’re reading a sales claim. Expectation may do the rest. The strain-by-strain lab data is in our kratom and pain breakdown.
Claim check: what people say about kratom
Tap a claim to see how it holds up.
It’s just a leaf, like coffee.Partly true
Whole leaf, yes. The tree is in the coffee family. But its alkaloids act on opioid and adrenergic receptors, so the coffee comparison stops at the botany. Extracts, shots and 7-OH tablets aren’t leaf at all.
Red is for sleep. White is for energy.Unsupported
In the one study that compared lab reports by color, the alkaloids didn’t differ. Leaf age, season and drying change alkaloids. Vein color doesn’t.
It isn’t addictive.Contradicted
A 2023 survey found 25.5% of current consumers met criteria for kratom use disorder. Tolerance and withdrawal were the usual signs. The numbers are in the addiction section below.
“Lab tested” means clean.Not on its own
FDA tested 30 products in 2019 and found lead and nickel above safe daily limits. A 2018 Salmonella outbreak made 199 people sick across 41 states. A report only counts if it matches your batch.
It helps with pain, anxiety or opioid withdrawal.Unproven
Pain is the top reason people give, at 57% to 91% in recruited surveys. A reason isn’t evidence, and those samples lean toward satisfied users.
A 2020 trial in 26 healthy daily users found higher pain tolerance in an ice-water test. That says nothing about chronic pain. For anxiety and opioid withdrawal, the evidence is self-report and case series. If you take opioid medicine, ask your prescriber before you add anything.
It’s natural, so it’s safe.False
Natural origin doesn’t mean low risk. Liver injury, drug interactions, contamination and dependence are all documented. The risk table is below.
7-OH is just stronger kratom.False
7-OH is a minor leaf alkaloid, under 2% of the total. The tablets and shots sold as “7-OH” are concentrated or lab-made. FDA treats selling them as kratom as deceptive, and the DEA has a notice of intent to schedule them above a threshold.
Is kratom addictive?
It can be. In a 2023 survey of 2,061 current consumers, 25.5% met criteria for kratom use disorder, mostly mild or moderate. The sample wasn’t random, so don’t read it as a national rate. Human survey
An older Johns Hopkins survey of 2,798 users found 87.7% met no criteria. The two surveys used different samples and criteria, so read them as a range.
Two things shape the risk. How often you use it matters more than how much. And tolerance builds. Among people with kratom use disorder, 81% reported tolerance and 68% reported withdrawal.
Withdrawal is real. In regular users in Malaysia, studies describe:
Physical
- Muscle spasms and aches
- Trouble sleeping
- Watery eyes and runny nose
- Hot flashes and fever
- Poor appetite and diarrhea
Psychological
- Restlessness
- Tension
- Anger
- Sadness
- Nervousness
If you use it daily and want to cut back, talk to a clinician first. Case series describe buprenorphine and methadone for kratom use disorder, but a review notes no controlled studies show buprenorphine is safe or effective for it.
You can call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357, free and open 24/7. Our guide to quitting kratom covers what to ask a clinician.
What else can go wrong?
Dependence isn’t the only risk. Here’s what the data shows, with its grade.
| Risk | What the data shows | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liver injury | A 2026 review found 32 cases, mostly cholestatic. Most improved after people stopped. Four progressed to transplant. | Case reports |
| Drug interactions | One serving of kratom tea raised exposure to midazolam, a CYP3A drug, by about 39% in a human study. Many medicines, including some opioids and buprenorphine, rely on CYP3A. Ask a pharmacist before you combine them. | Human study |
| Contamination | FDA’s 2019 testing found lead and nickel above safe daily limits in 30 products. A 2018 Salmonella outbreak hit 199 people in 41 states. Fifty were hospitalized, and none died. | Official testing |
| Overdose deaths | Poison centers logged 3,434 kratom reports in 2025, up from 258 in 2015. Of 233 deaths from 2015 to 2025, 79% involved other substances. In a CDC study of 27 states, kratom was the only substance in 7 of 152 kratom-positive overdose deaths. | Surveillance |
| Seizures | FDA lists seizures as a risk. A review by authors who consult for kratom processors found insufficient evidence. The question is open. | Contested |
The numbers don’t support “harmless.” They don’t support “deadly on its own” either. Most deaths involve other substances, and the data can’t separate leaf from 7-OH.
Is kratom legal?
It depends on the product, your state and sometimes your city. As of October 2026:
| Where | Status | Type |
|---|---|---|
| US federal: leaf | Not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act. FDA says it isn’t lawful as a drug, dietary supplement or food additive, and it detains imports under Import Alert 54-15. | Uncontrolled |
| US federal: 7-OH | Not scheduled yet. DEA published a notice of intent on 14 October 2026. An order can’t issue before 13 November 2026. | Pending |
| US federal: MP, MGM-15, MGM-16 | Schedule I by temporary order, 26 August 2026 to 26 August 2028. | Schedule I |
| Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Vermont, Wisconsin | Banned by scheduling. | Banned |
| Tennessee | Ban since 1 July 2026. Possession is a misdemeanor and sale is a felony. It covers the plant, mitragynine and 7-OH. | Banned |
| Massachusetts | An emergency order put all kratom in Schedule I from 28 August 2026, for up to a year. Retailers sued. | Emergency ban |
| California | The health department says kratom and 7-OH may not be sold for consumption in any form (9 January 2026). | Prohibited |
| Other states | 30 states plus DC regulate kratom. Typical rules: an age limit of 18 or 21, labels, and a cap on 7-OH. | Regulated |
| Cities and counties | Albuquerque, Spokane, Nassau County (NY) and Revere (MA) add local restrictions. | Local |
Rules change monthly. Check your state and your city before you buy, and if your state is listed as banned, don’t. Treat 21 as the age floor.
How do you read a kratom lab report (COA)?
“Lab tested” on a label means nothing without the report. And a report only helps if it matches your bag. A badge isn’t a lab report. Check five things:
A seal doesn’t replace those five checks. A 2023 review of the AKA’s GMP program says it may ensure some quality control, but it isn’t a guarantee. And in one check of eight store-bought products in Illinois, seven had nickel, lead or chromium and six carried microbes. That’s a small sample, but it fits FDA’s 2019 results.
If you’ve decided to buy, see our kratom vendor comparison.
Who should skip kratom?
Skip it, or talk to a clinician first, if any of these is you:
- Under 21, or under your state’s minimum age
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Taking prescription medicine, including buprenorphine, methadone or any CYP3A-cleared drug
- Living with liver disease
- Dealing with a history of substance use disorder
- Drug tested for work, driving, probation or the military
What’s known, and what isn’t
- Solid
- Mitragynine and 7-OH are partial, G-protein-biased opioid receptor agonists.
- 7-OH is under 2% of a leaf’s alkaloids.
- Dependence happens.
- Alkaloid content varies about fourfold between products, and labels don’t show it.
- FDA says kratom can’t be lawfully marketed as a drug, supplement or food additive.
- Unknown
- Whether leaf kratom treats any condition.
- How common dependence is. Two large surveys point to different answers.
- How named strains such as Maeng Da differ across vendors.
- Whether some leaf powders would fail the DEA’s 7-OH ratio test.
- What would change this page
- A multi-vendor lab study that finds real differences by color.
- A controlled trial in people with a defined condition.
- A final DEA order on 7-OH.
Kratom FAQ
What is kratom?
Kratom is the leaf of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree in the coffee family from Southeast Asia. People chew it, brew it, or take it as powder or capsules. Its main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-OH, act on opioid receptors.
Is kratom an opioid?
Kratom isn’t an opioid drug like morphine. Its two main alkaloids bind the same receptors as partial agonists, so it can cause opioid-like effects, tolerance and withdrawal.
Is kratom legal?
The leaf isn’t federally controlled, but FDA says it isn’t lawful as a drug, dietary supplement or food additive. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Vermont, Wisconsin and Tennessee ban it, and Massachusetts has an emergency ban. Check your state and city. Status as of October 2026.
What is the difference between kratom and 7-OH?
7-OH is one minor alkaloid in the leaf, under 2% of the total. Tablets, films and shots sold as 7-OH are concentrated or lab-made, and they aren’t leaf. The DEA has a notice of intent to schedule 7-OH above a threshold.
Is kratom addictive?
It can be. In a 2023 survey, 25.5% of current consumers met criteria for kratom use disorder, mostly mild or moderate. Frequent use raises the risk more than the amount per dose does. If you want to cut back, talk to a clinician.
Do red, green and white kratom differ?
Marketing says so. In the one study that compared lab reports by color, mitragynine ran from 1.40% to 1.56% across them, with no real difference.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Standard panels don’t test for it. A specific assay can. Ask your employer’s testing program or medical review officer, and a clinician. This page doesn’t cover timing.
What do people use kratom for?
In Southeast Asia, laborers chewed it for fatigue. In US surveys, people name pain (57% to 91%), anxiety and mood. A reason isn’t proof it works, and FDA hasn’t approved kratom for any use.
Sources
- Huisman et al. 2023, strain colors and alkaloids (IJERPH)
- Sengnon et al. 2023, alkaloid variation in Thai kratom (Plants)
- Kruegel and Grundmann 2017, neuropharmacology of kratom
- Kruegel et al. 2019, 7-OH as an active metabolite of mitragynine (ACS Cent Sci)
- Zuarth Gonzalez et al. 2025, mitragynine and 7-OH effects on breathing in rats (JPET)
- Hill et al. 2024, kratom use disorder prevalence (J Addict Med)
- Garcia-Romeu et al. 2020, Johns Hopkins user survey (Drug Alcohol Depend)
- Singh et al. 2014, kratom dependence and withdrawal in Malaysia
- Calicdan et al. 2026, liver injury systematic review (J Addict Med)
- Tanna et al. 2023, kratom drug interaction study (Clin Pharmacol Ther)
- CDC MMWR 2026, kratom poison center reports
- CDC MMWR 2019, overdose deaths with kratom detected
- CDC, 2018 Salmonella outbreak linked to kratom
- FDA, laboratory analysis of kratom products for heavy metals
- FDA, FDA and Kratom
- Hill et al. 2025, 7-OH and MP product marketing (Drug Alcohol Depend)
- DEA 2026, MP, MGM-15 and MGM-16 temporary order (Federal Register)
- DEA 2026, 7-OH notice of intent, 14 October (Federal Register)
- LAPPA 2026, summary of state kratom laws
- California Department of Public Health, 9 January 2026 letter
- Metro Nashville, Tennessee kratom ban notice
- WBUR, Massachusetts emergency order
- Hill et al. 2023, review of AKA GMP vendor information (SAPTP)
- Prozialeck et al. 2020, metals and microbes in kratom products (IJERPH)