Ohio Governor Urges Board to Ban Kratom Compounds

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has urged the state's Board of Pharmacy to immediately classify all natural and synthetic kratom compounds as Schedule I illegal drugs, citing significant public health risks. Kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia, is sold in various forms and marketed for pain management and opioid withdrawal, but it is not approved by the FDA and has been linked to serious health issues, including overdoses, psychosis, seizures, and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. DeWine emphasized that synthetic versions of kratom compounds, often packaged to appeal to youth, act as potent, addictive opioids accessible over the counter and pose an imminent threat. In Ohio, kratom was implicated in over 200 unintentional overdose deaths between 2019 and 2024, while nationally, poison control centers reported 1,690 exposure cases in the first seven months of 2025 alone, surpassing all of 2024. The governor's proposal exceeds recent FDA recommendations by calling for a broad ban on both natural and synthetic kratom derivatives. Addiction specialists have noted the growing use of kratom among individuals struggling with substance abuse due to its availability and psychoactive effects.