Sponsor
Bernardo Moreno
Senator · R-OH
The bill reduces public exposure to highly potent synthesized kratom derivatives and similar synthetic opioids and strengthens federal enforcement while imposing compliance costs, access restrictions for some patients, and legal uncertainty that could burden small businesses and research.
General public and patients (including people with chronic conditions) will be less exposed to highly potent synthetic mitragynine derivatives and newly marketed potent synthetic opioids because the bill bans synthesized/enriched kratom forms, caps natural concentrations, and criminalizes commercial manufacture/distribution of such substances.
Scientists, clinicians, forensic labs, and law-enforcement agencies retain access to these substances for legitimate scientific, medical, forensic, and law‑enforcement purposes because the bill provides explicit exemptions for those uses.
Law enforcement and federal regulators gain clearer authority to control synthetic mitragynine derivatives because the bill lists them in Schedule I and criminalizes commercial manufacture/distribution, simplifying enforcement against manufactured analogs.
Small-business kratom retailers, product manufacturers, and some researchers may face substantial compliance costs, product losses, and criminal or civil exposure—threatening income and chilling legitimate product development or research because concentrated/synthesized products are banned or criminalized and new obligations (testing, ratios) apply.
Patients who use concentrated kratom extracts for symptom relief could lose access to those products because concentrated or synthesized extracts are excluded from the exemption and would be treated as controlled substances.
Small businesses, sellers, manufacturers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and ordinary purchasers face legal uncertainty and enforcement risk because the bill relies on potency thresholds, testing/assay rules, and future HHS/AG guidance that could be ambiguous or delayed.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Schedules two kratom-related compounds with a narrow natural-product exemption and treats certain new synthetic opioids as Schedule I only for criminal enforcement against commercial manufacture/distribution.
Senator · R-OH
Official title: Amend the Controlled Substances Act to schedule MGM-15 and MGM-16 as schedule I controlled substances, and to amend the controlled Substances Act to schedule synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine, and Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl, as a Schedule I above a specific threshold under the controlled substance act, and to expand enforcement actions against drug manufacturers and distributors of emerging synthetic opioids, commonly known as gas station heroin.
Introduced August 8, 2026 by Bernardo Moreno · Last progress August 8, 2026
Adds two kratom-related compounds (7‑hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl) to Schedule I while exempting low concentrations when they occur naturally in kratom products that meet specified limits. Also treats certain newly emerging synthetic opioids as Schedule I for the limited purpose of criminal enforcement against knowing or intentional manufacture, distribution, or possession with intent to distribute, while protecting simple possession and personal use from prosecution. The bill defines "covered emerging synthetic opioids" with specific scientific criteria, limits enforcement to commercial-quantity activities and knowing/intentional conduct, preserves exemptions for legitimate scientific/medical/forensic uses, and directs the Attorney General (with HHS) to identify validated assays and accepted evidence for potency determinations.