Sponsors (3)
The bill tightens federal control over synthetic 7‑hydroxymitragynine to enhance enforcement against dangerous synthetic opioid products while preserving naturally occurring kratom, but it raises barriers to research and creates criminal and compliance risks for some sellers and users.
Law enforcement and public safety officials: Classifying synthetic 7‑hydroxymitragynine as Schedule I gives DEA/CJS clearer authority to seize and prosecute distribution of non‑plant/synthetic forms, strengthening enforcement against potentially dangerous synthetic opioids.
Kratom producers and consumers: Explicitly exempting naturally occurring 7‑hydroxymitragynine in kratom reduces legal/regulatory uncertainty for manufacturers and regulators, helping small businesses and consumers who use natural kratom products.
Patients, clinicians, and researchers: Scheduling synthetic 7‑hydroxymitragynine as Schedule I will restrict research and clinical access because Schedule I substances require strict licenses and are designated as having no accepted medical use.
Sellers, small vendors, and some users: Criminalizing synthetic or non‑plant preparations exposes individuals and small businesses to felony prosecution and asset forfeiture if they handle prohibited forms.
Law enforcement and producers: Distinguishing exempt natural kratom content from synthetic or isolated 7‑hydroxymitragynine could create testing, compliance, and enforcement complexity and costs for both agencies and businesses.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Adds synthetic and non-plant 7‑hydroxymitragynine to Schedule I while excluding the compound naturally present in the kratom plant.
Adds non-plant-derived and synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, making manufacture, distribution, and possession of those synthetic forms illegal under federal law. The text explicitly excludes 7‑OH that occurs naturally in the plant Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), so kratom plant material is not placed in Schedule I by this change. The change will subject synthetic 7‑OH to the strict controls and criminal penalties that apply to Schedule I substances, while leaving naturally occurring kratom exempt from the new scheduling language.
Introduced March 19, 2026 by Gus Bilirakis · Last progress March 19, 2026