Sponsors (3)
The bill seeks to reduce public access to a potent opioid‑like synthetic by clarifying enforcement and preserving whole‑plant kratom access, but it does so by criminalizing isolated/synthetic forms and imposing research and market burdens that could hinder medical development and create business confusion.
Law enforcement and the public: DEA authority to prosecute manufacture and sale of synthetic 7‑hydroxymitragynine should reduce availability of a potent opioid‑like compound and improve public safety.
Small businesses, retailers, and consumers: The bill preserves lawful access to whole‑plant kratom by exempting naturally occurring 7‑hydroxymitragynine in Mitragyna speciosa, protecting existing kratom markets and users.
Regulators and enforcement agencies: The bill clarifies the legal status of synthetic 7‑hydroxymitragynine, reducing ambiguity for DEA and other regulators.
People who produce, possess, or use isolated/synthetic kratom-derived compounds: They could face felony Schedule I penalties, exposing patients and small producers to severe criminal consequences.
Manufacturers, retailers, and consumers: Exempting whole‑plant kratom while banning isolated/synthetic compounds will create market confusion and enforcement challenges for businesses and customers.
Patients and researchers: Scheduling a potent opioid‑like compound as Schedule I may limit medical research and development of potential therapeutic uses.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 19, 2026 by Gus Bilirakis · Last progress March 19, 2026
Adds the compound 7-hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) and its synthetic equivalents to Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act, making manufacture, distribution, and possession of the substance illegal under federal law except when the compound occurs naturally in the kratom plant (Mitragyna speciosa). The bill does not regulate kratom itself but bans isolated or synthetic 7‑OH while leaving naturally contained 7‑OH in kratom exempt.