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Status Indicators
- 7-OH itself is not yet federally scheduled – a temporary scheduling order was proposed on 6 July 2026 but had not been published as at 27 September 2026
- Three related substances – mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 – are Schedule I, effective 26 August 2026 until 26 August 2028
- The proposed federal threshold is 0.050% 7-OH on a dry weight basis, or 1.00 mg in a processed article
- Naturally occurring 7-OH in plain leaf usually sits below that threshold, but plain leaf is not categorically exempt from it
- Tennessee and Louisiana ban 7-OH outright; Florida treats it as Schedule I above 400 ppm
What is 7-Hydroxymitragynine?
7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a secondary alkaloid present in kratom leaf in small concentrations, typically below 0.04% dry weight. It is a metabolite of mitragynine and the compound most associated with kratom’s activity at opioid receptors. Some vendors sell concentrated 7-OH extracts far more potent than plain leaf, and regulatory attention has focused on those concentrated products rather than on naturally occurring amounts in the leaf. That distinction is what every threshold below is trying to draw.
Federal Legal Status
As at 27 September 2026, 7-hydroxymitragynine is not a federally scheduled substance, but it is closer to being one than at any point in the past decade.
The DEA first tried in 2016. A notice of intent to temporarily place mitragynine and 7-OH in Schedule I was published on 31 August 2016 and withdrawn on 13 October 2016 after public and congressional pushback. Nothing further happened federally for nearly ten years.
On 6 July 2026 the DEA published a new notice of intent, this time narrower: it proposes to place 7-OH in Schedule I only above a specified threshold (91 FR 40917). The threshold is defined as any botanical material of Mitragyna speciosa containing more than 0.050% 7-OH on a dry weight basis; or any synthetic or further-processed article – extracts, concentrates, processed edibles, pressed pills – containing more than 0.050% by weight or volume, or more than 1.00 mg of 7-OH in the article. The notice stated that a temporary scheduling order would be published on or after 5 August 2026. None had been published as at 27 September 2026, and the comment period was extended to 10 September 2026 (91 FR 55104).
The related-substances proposal did complete. On 26 August 2026 the DEA temporarily placed mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 in Schedule I, effective immediately and running to 26 August 2028, with a possible extension (91 FR 54948). These are synthetic or semi-synthetic analogues, not constituents of plain leaf, so the practical effect falls on extract and research chemical supply rather than on leaf products.
Separately, the FDA maintains import alerts covering kratom products generally, which can affect shipments containing 7-OH extracts regardless of scheduling status.
State-Level Regulations
Several states moved before the federal government did, and they have not moved in the same direction. Some cap the 7-OH concentration inside an otherwise legal market; others ban kratom and its alkaloids outright, which captures 7-OH by definition.
| Jurisdiction | Position on 7-OH | Authority | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal (US) | Not scheduled. Schedule I above a 0.050% / 1.00 mg threshold proposed, not in force | 91 FR 40917; comment period extended by 91 FR 55104 | Proposed 6 Jul 2026 |
| Federal (US) | Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 are Schedule I | 91 FR 54948 | 26 Aug 2026 – 26 Aug 2028 |
| Tennessee | Banned outright, 7-OH named in the statute. Possession a Class A misdemeanour, sale a Class C felony | Public Chapter 950 (HB 1649) | 1 Jul 2026 |
| Louisiana | Banned outright. Mitragynine and 7-OH are Schedule I | Act 41 (SB 154), 2025 Regular Session | 1 Aug 2025 |
| Florida | Schedule I above 400 ppm dry weight. Concentration must be declared on the label in ppm | AG emergency rule 2ER25-2; FDACS rule 5KER25-6 | Aug 2025; label rule 17 Dec 2025 |
| Arizona | Capped at 2% of total alkaloid content in products sold to consumers | HB 2174 (Kratom Consumer Protection Act) | 2019 |
| Georgia | No specific 7-OH cap. HB 968 would have made mitragynine and 7-OH Schedule I but was not enacted | HB 551 (KCPA) remains the operative law | KCPA 2019; age 21 from 1 Jan 2025 |
| Idaho | No state rule at all. SB 1418 would have set a 2% cap but failed on the Senate floor 15-20 | No statute – HB 864 stalled, SB 1418 failed | Session ended 30 Mar 2026 |
States that already ban kratom outright – Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin, now joined by Louisiana and Tennessee – prohibit 7-OH as a consequence, whether or not the alkaloid is named in the statute.
If you are checking a single state, start from the United States legality tracker, which carries the per-state detail and the local ordinances the state pages do not.
Sources
- Federal Register 91 FR 40917, Temporary Placement of 7-Hydroxymitragynine Above a Specified Threshold in Schedule I, 6 July 2026 (notice of intent)
- Federal Register 91 FR 54948, Temporary Placement of Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I, effective 26 August 2026
- Federal Register 91 FR 55104, extension of comment period to 10 September 2026
- Federal Register 81 FR 59929 (31 August 2016) and its withdrawal (13 October 2016)
- Tennessee Public Chapter 950 (HB 1649 / SB 1656), signed 7 May 2026, effective 1 July 2026
- Louisiana Act 41 (SB 154), 2025 Regular Session, effective 1 August 2025
- Florida Attorney General emergency rule 2ER25-2 (August 2025); FDACS rule 5KER25-6 (effective 17 December 2025); section 500.92, Florida Statutes
- Georgia HB 551 (2019) and HB 968 (2025-2026 session, not enacted)
- Idaho HB 864 and SB 1418, 2026 session; SB 1418 failed 15-20 on 30 March 2026
Federal scheduling status was checked against the Federal Register on 27 September 2026. This is a factual tracker, not legal advice.
