7-OH Laws by State: Where Is 7-Hydroxymitragynine Legal? (2026)
7-OH is legal in most of the country, but the number of states restricting it keeps climbing. Nine states have banned kratom outright or scheduled 7-hydroxymitragynine. More than a dozen others cap how much 7-OH a product can contain, which puts concentrated 7-OH off the table even where kratom leaf sells freely. Here is where concentrated 7-OH stands in every state and Washington, D.C., as of June 17, 2026.
- Federally, 7-OH is not scheduled. The FDA has asked the DEA to change that.
- The laws that matter for 7-OH are usually not the same as the laws for plain kratom leaf.
- A 2% cap sounds permissive, but a concentrated 7-OH product fails it. Natural leaf passes.
- City and county rules can be stricter than the state. Check both.
Federal status
7-OH is not a controlled substance under federal law. You can make, sell, and possess it without violating the Controlled Substances Act. That has not stopped federal pressure.
On July 29, 2025, HHS and the FDA formally recommended that the DEA place 7-hydroxymitragynine in Schedule I. As of June 2026 the DEA is still reviewing that recommendation and has not published a proposed rule, so 7-OH remains unscheduled for now. Separately, the FDA already treats concentrated 7-OH as an unapproved new drug, which lets it act against specific products and health claims no matter how the scheduling question lands.
Why ‘is kratom legal?’ is the wrong question
Most state laws split kratom into two categories:
- Kratom leaf. The ground plant. 7-OH occurs here naturally, in trace amounts well under 1% of total alkaloids.
- Concentrated 7-OH. Products enriched, isolated, or semi-synthesized to hold far more 7-OH than the leaf ever does.
A state can welcome the first and ban the second. That is exactly what the 2025 and 2026 laws tend to do. They cap 7-OH at 1% to 2% of total alkaloids. Natural leaf clears that line. A concentrated 7-OH product does not. So a state can sit on every kratom-is-legal list and still make a concentrated 7-OH product illegal.
How to read the table
As of June 17, 2026: 9 states ban kratom or 7-OH, 13 restrict concentrated 7-OH through caps or synthetic bans, 4 have legislation in motion, and the rest have no 7-OH-specific law on the books.
| State | Status | What the law says |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Banned | Kratom alkaloids, including 7-OH, are Schedule I (2016). |
| Alaska | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal; check local rules. |
| Arizona | 7-OH restricted | KCPA: products over 2% 7-OH and synthetic alkaloids are prohibited. |
| Arkansas | Banned | Kratom alkaloids are controlled (2016). |
| California | No 7-OH law | No statewide 7-OH law. Kratom is banned in the city of San Diego. |
| Colorado | 7-OH restricted | 7-OH capped at 2% of alkaloids; synthetics banned. Daniel Bregger Act (SB25-072), signed May 2025. |
| Connecticut | Banned | Kratom and 7-OH scheduled; effective March 25, 2026. |
| Delaware | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Florida | 7-OH restricted | Concentrated 7-OH above 1% by weight is Schedule I (emergency rule, Aug 2025). Leaf remains legal; 21+. |
| Georgia | 7-OH restricted | KCPA bans isolated, synthetic, or enhanced 7-OH extracts; 21+. |
| Hawaii | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Idaho | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Illinois | No 7-OH law | No statewide 7-OH law; sales to minors restricted. Some cities ban kratom. |
| Indiana | Banned | Kratom alkaloids treated as controlled substances (2014). |
| Iowa | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Kansas | Banned | Statewide ban on 7-OH and kratom enacted in 2026. Confirm effective date before relying on it. |
| Kentucky | 7-OH restricted | Concentrated 7-OH above 400 ppm (0.04%) scheduled (adopted late 2025); natural leaf under 2% allowed. |
| Louisiana | Banned | Mitragynine and 7-OH are Schedule I; effective Aug 1, 2025. |
| Maine | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal; 21+. |
| Maryland | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Massachusetts | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Michigan | Pending | A full kratom ban passed the state House in March 2026 but is not yet law. |
| Minnesota | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Mississippi | 7-OH restricted | Synthetic and high-concentration 7-OH extracts banned; 21+. Effective July 1, 2025. Some counties ban kratom outright. |
| Missouri | Pending | Kansas City and Independence ban synthetic 7-OH locally; statewide bills pending. |
| Montana | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Nebraska | No 7-OH law | KCPA labeling rules; no confirmed 7-OH cap. Verify before relying on it. |
| Nevada | No 7-OH law | Age and adulteration rules apply; no confirmed 7-OH cap (a tightening bill was vetoed in 2025). |
| New Hampshire | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law; minimum age 18. |
| New Jersey | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| New Mexico | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| New York | No 7-OH law | No statewide 7-OH cap; minimum age 21. Banned in New York City and Suffolk County. |
| North Carolina | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law; minimum age 18. |
| North Dakota | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Ohio | 7-OH restricted | Emergency rule (eff. Dec 12, 2025) bans kratom products other than natural leaf, including enhanced and synthetic 7-OH. Permanent rule in progress. |
| Oklahoma | 7-OH restricted | KCPA caps 7-OH at 2% of total alkaloids. |
| Oregon | No 7-OH law | KCPA restricts synthetic and adulterated products; no standalone 7-OH cap confirmed. 21+. |
| Pennsylvania | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Rhode Island | 7-OH restricted | Former ban replaced by a regulated framework (eff. ~April 1, 2026): 21+, testing, labeling, synthetic alkaloids prohibited, 7-OH concentration limited. |
| South Carolina | Pending | Currently regulated under a KCPA; 2026 bills would repeal it and schedule kratom as Schedule I. |
| South Dakota | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Tennessee | Banned | Full kratom and 7-OH ban signed in 2026; effective July 1, 2026. |
| Texas | 7-OH restricted | 7-OH limited to 0.1% of total alkaloids; synthetic kratom banned (eff. Sept 1, 2025). The Attorney General has sued high-7-OH retailers. Concentrated 7-OH is not legal. |
| Utah | 7-OH restricted | First KCPA state; 7-OH capped at 2% of total alkaloids. |
| Vermont | Banned | Kratom alkaloids are prohibited. |
| Virginia | 7-OH restricted | High-potency 7-OH banned; 21+, behind-the-counter, dependence warning label. HB360, effective July 1, 2026. |
| Washington | Pending | KCPA and excise-tax bills introduced in 2026; nothing in force yet. |
| West Virginia | 7-OH restricted | KCPA caps 7-OH at 2% of total alkaloids (SB220); permits and labeling required. |
| Wisconsin | Banned | 7-OH listed as a Schedule I controlled substance (2014). |
| Wyoming | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
| Washington, D.C. | No 7-OH law | No 7-OH-specific law. Kratom is legal. |
States to watch
Texas has the strictest numbers in the country: 7-OH is capped at 0.1% of total alkaloids, and the Attorney General has already sued retailers over high-7-OH products. Tennessee and Virginia both take effect July 1, 2026, Tennessee as a full ban and Virginia as a 7-OH ban with a mandatory dependence warning. Connecticut followed in March 2026, and Kansas passed a statewide ban the same year. The trend line points one direction.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7-OH legal in the United States?
At the federal level, yes. 7-OH is not a scheduled controlled substance as of June 2026. But the FDA has recommended that the DEA schedule it, and a growing list of states restrict or ban it. Whether you can legally buy or sell it depends on your state and, in some places, your city.
What is the difference between kratom and 7-OH?
7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) is one of the active compounds in the kratom plant. In raw leaf it appears only in trace amounts. 7-OH products concentrate it well above leaf levels, which is why lawmakers increasingly treat the two differently.
Which states have banned 7-OH?
As of June 17, 2026, kratom or 7-OH is banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Several more states, including Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Virginia, ban concentrated 7-OH specifically while still allowing leaf.
Is 7-OH legal in Texas?
Concentrated 7-OH is not. Texas caps 7-OH at 0.1% of a product’s total alkaloids and bans synthetic kratom, effective September 1, 2025. The state Attorney General has sued retailers over high-7-OH products.
Is 7-OH legal in Florida?
Plain kratom leaf is legal in Florida, but concentrated 7-OH above 1% by weight was placed in Schedule I by an emergency rule in August 2025. Buyers must be 21 or older.
What does a 2% cap mean for a 7-OH product?
It means a product cannot contain more than 2% 7-OH as a share of its total alkaloids. Natural leaf sits comfortably under that. Concentrated 7-OH products run well over it, so a 2% cap effectively bans them.
Will 7-OH be banned at the federal level?
It might. The FDA recommended Schedule I to the DEA in July 2025, and the DEA has not issued a proposed rule yet. If it schedules 7-OH, the substance would become illegal nationwide. No date has been set.
Do I have to be 21 to buy 7-OH?
In many regulated states, yes. States with Kratom Consumer Protection Acts and most newer 7-OH laws set a minimum age of 21. A few older laws use 18. Check your state’s rule.
How current is this page?
It was last updated June 17, 2026. These laws change often, sometimes by emergency rule with little warning. Treat this as a starting point and confirm the current statute for your state before you buy or sell.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service — kratom and 7-OH legal status (LSB11082)
- FDA plan to restrict 7-OH (HHS/FDA recommendation to DEA, July 2025)
- Texas Attorney General — enforcement against high-7-OH retailers
- Rockefeller Institute of Government — kratom policy tracker
For the exact wording where you live, check your state legislature, attorney general, or board of pharmacy.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws covering 7-OH and kratom change frequently and can differ by city and county. The statuses here reflect our best read of public sources as of June 17, 2026 and may not capture the most recent change in your area. Confirm the current rules for your location before buying or selling. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship, and you must be of legal age to purchase these products where they are available.