Is Kratom Legal in Your State? Federal and State Rules Explained

TL;DR: Kratom is federally legal in the U.S., but state and local laws vary widely. Some states allow it with few restrictions, others regulate age, labeling, alkaloid content, or product type, and several prohibit kratom altogether.

• As of August 2026, kratom is prohibited statewide in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
• California prohibits commercial sale and manufacture for consumption, while Ohio allows natural kratom leaf but restricts several related compounds.
• Botanical kratom isn’t federally scheduled, but FDA rules still limit how kratom products can be marketed or sold.
• Cities and counties can create additional local restrictions, even when state law permits kratom.
• Kratom usually won’t appear on a standard opioid test, but targeted tests can detect mitragynine and 7-OH.

Kratom is well-known for its unique effects, offering an energizing experience at lower doses and a more calming and sedating experience at higher doses. With the increase in kratom’s popularity in recent years, “Is kratom legal?” is a commonly heard question.

Let’s take a closer look at the legality of kratom on both the state and federal level. The topic is more complex than you may think, although this substance is legal federally and in many states. Then, we’ll provide answers to frequently asked questions about kratom and its legal standing.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical tree in the coffee family that’s native to Southeast Asia. In the U.S., you’ll find it in powders, capsules, gummies, extracts, and liquid shots. The form you take it in factors into its legality in many states.

Some laws cover the whole plant. Other laws focus on concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, usually called 7-OH, which is a highly potent compound found in the kratom leaf. It’s currently classified as a Schedule I substance, which includes drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Furthermore, some laws set limits on age, labeling, and alkaloid content in kratom products.

Is Kratom Federally Legal?

Given that 7-OH is a Schedule I substance, is kratom legal in the US? Kratom is federally legal, meaning that it isn’t controlled under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The Schedule I designation doesn’t apply to botanical kratom containing naturally occurring 7-OH below its specified threshold.

With that said, there is a difference between federal legality and federal approval.

While technically legal, kratom is not currently federally approved, as it isn’t lawfully marketed as an approved drug, dietary supplement, or ingredient in conventional food.

So how is kratom legal? A substance can remain outside the federal controlled-substance schedules while products containing it still run into FDA marketing and food-law restrictions.

What States Is Kratom Legal In?

Clearly, questions about the legality of kratom have somewhat nuanced answers. Many states ban kratom completely, while others allow it with specific restrictions or testing rules and labeling standards.

The chart below shows where kratom is legal, restricted, or prohibited at the state level as of August 2026. The regulation map and state tracker are useful places to check for later changes: