This statement is based on a news story that used the word “kratom” when the products found near the students were a synthetic drug, not natural kratom. Natural kratom is an unaltered plant. Years of research, and research still going on, support treating natural leaf differently from chemically altered and synthetic products. It would unethical and cruel to ignore that distinction. Countless, innocent people, and the AKA, have shared stories of how leaf helped them, improved their quality of life and well-being. Those stories are being ignored, and the absolute claim that all kratom kills is not supported by the science available to anyone who takes the time to do the research.
It is not known how these students died. Their cause of death is not known. Toxicology is still pending, and officials said they had no confirmed information that kratom caused either death. What was found near them was packaging for Modus SMAX Pseudo-DHM tablets. Court documents list the ingredients as pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Those are synthetic or chemically altered compounds. The DEA is working to establish reasonable thresholds for naturally occuring chemicals in the unaltered plant. What was found at the scene was not the naturally occuring plant. No public report has shown mitragynine alone, and no other drugs or chemicals, have been found in the students' bodies.
FDA said in July 2025 that its 7-OH action is not focused on natural kratom leaf. HHS and DEA said scheduling 7-OH above a threshold is not meant to cover the botanical, because the plant only has trace 7-OH. That is the right line: a limit on concentrated and synthetic 7-OH, with a threshold high enough that the small amount naturally in the leaf is not treated as the same thing. https://t.co/rI2weUlTzM
Peer-reviewed surveys and reviews also describe many users cutting back or quitting other substances. In one self-selected survey, nearly half said natural kratom helped with withdrawal. https://t.co/etRzI70hfQ https://t.co/m8tf1wbb5R
It was concluded in a recent study that natural kratom powder “was safe and well tolerated at the dose ranges tested, with no evidence of meaningful abuse potential or withdrawal.” No serious adverse events or deaths were reported. https://t.co/tzImftNwvJ
The science behind the distinction is also here: https://t.co/FrAYHK43kL
Kratom has helped my life. It has greatly improved my well-being and quality of life for three years. I am completely healthy, functioning, working, providing for my family and healthier than I have been in 16 years. Banning the unaltered plant because a headline used the word kratom for a synthetic tablet is unethical and harmful to many innocent people who've actively advocated alongside the American Kratom Association. The leaf and the synthetics are being treated as the same thing when the products found near these students were not plain leaf, and the cause of death is still not known. Reasonable regulation is a sensible option that would create safety and age restrictions for natural kratom. Please, don't ignore this option for the millions of people that have positive testimonies compared to one news story that does not support that natural kratom is deadly.
I’m so incredibly sorry you lost your husband. There are no words. I truly cannot imagine that pain.
I don’t know whether your husband was taking natural kratom powder or concentrated/synthetic 7-OH. Those are very different. I am specifically referring to natural kratom.
The AKA and scientific researchers are rigorously working to bring education, research, and factuality to this plant. A recent peer-reviewed human clinical trial found dried natural kratom leaf powder safe and well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or deaths among 116 participants.
https://t.co/tzImftO4lh
Natural kratom leaf contains only trace amounts of 7-OH, while concentrated 7-OH products can contain vastly higher amounts. They should not be treated as the same substance.
https://t.co/mI9faELdL4
Many reported “kratom deaths” are polysubstance deaths, and other factors may have been involved. The CDC found multiple substances in almost all kratom-positive deaths it examined.
https://t.co/1mF2aVyMby
In many cases, kratom is blamed when other factors may have been at play. A 2025 review found confounding substances in 32 of 35 deceased cases where mitragynine was confirmed and concluded that evidence was insufficient to establish that kratom alone causes severe acute adverse effects.
https://t.co/H5THOqOIxB
There have also been documented concerns about coroners and medical examiners hastily attributing deaths to kratom, including cases where forensic conclusions about causation have been challenged.
https://t.co/Udgszq53yH
https://t.co/ktvM9JZavy
Studies have found natural kratom to be safe. I believe that, as more rigorous research is conducted and forensic evidence is examined carefully, perceiving natural kratom as inherently fatal will be recognized as a debunked misunderstanding of the evidence.
I am not saying your husband’s death or your grief isn’t real. I am saying that one heartbreaking tragedy should not justify a blanket ban on natural kratom when the scientific evidence surrounding causation is far more complicated.
Thank you for bringing attention to this issue, Representative Brennan, and for considering the perspectives of the many Ohioans who are deeply invested in this matter. Following a 13-year struggle with alcoholism, natural, unadulterated kratom leaf has been a vital tool in supporting my long-term recovery. It has allowed me to completely reclaim my quality of life; today, I am healthier and happier than ever, functioning as a fully present member of my family and community while maintaining steady employment.
Responsible advocates across Ohio are actively seeking sensible regulation through the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) framework currently under legislative consideration. These proposed standards are grounded in years of rigorous scientific research, which you can review in detail at https://t.co/I59PEHkxFh.
I worry deeply about the prospect of prohibition, which historically damages far more lives than it saves by counterproductively punishing responsible adults who are simply striving to maintain their health, well-being, and daily productivity. True consumer safety lies in science-based regulation rather than outright bans.
@drjaredcrawford@HoosierKratom I've heard that the most important part of your letter is your personal testimony about how natural kratom has helped your life. You could add data, facts and resources like https://t.co/Gz1zByl9p9 to strengthen your letter also. Thank you for your advocacy!
🚨 OHIO KRATOM ADVOCATES: ACTION NEEDED IMMEDIATELY 🚨
🚨 OHIO KRATOM ADVOCATES: ACTION NEEDED 🚨
I attended today's Ohio Board of Pharmacy meeting (online in the public broadcast). The Board appears to be moving forward with the proposed rule to schedule natural kratom and advance it through the rulemaking process.
This does not mean the rule is final, but it does mean the Board is continuing to pursue scheduling rather than withdrawing it.
Now is the time to stay involved, stay informed and act. Contact lawmakers, spread awareness, and encourage others to get involved.
The most important thing advocates can do right now is urge lawmakers to advance the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (SB 299 and HB 587) as an alternative to scheduling.
This is bad news but it's not over. There is still hope. We need to show as much public interest in the KCPA bills as possible to get them moving. We can fight this together!
📢 KEY CONTACTS FOR OHIO ADVOCATES
Please contact the lawmakers below and urge them to advance the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (SB 299 and HB 587) and support regulation rather than prohibition.
Senator Louis Blessing (SB 299 Sponsor)
[email protected]
(614) 466-8068
Senator Kristina Roegner (Chair, Senate General Government Committee)
[email protected]
(614) 466-4823
Senator Theresa Gavarone (Vice Chair, Senate General Government Committee)
[email protected]
(614) 466-8060
Representative Mike Odioso (HB 587 Sponsor)
[email protected]
(614) 466-3288
Representative Brian Lorenz (HB 587 Sponsor)
[email protected]
(614) 644-6711
@LBlessing308@kristinaroegner
@tgavarone
@SteveHuffmanOH@BillReineke
@JaneTimken
@Rob_McColley@TheKratomAssn@kratomscience@TeamKratom@KratomTimes@MikeOdioso@lorenzforohio
@Kpascuch
@misteaz79@TauntonKratom@KratomGuyShow@OhioSenate
#Kratom #KeepKratomLegal #ProtectKratom #KCPA #OhioKratom #SB299 #AmericanKratomAssociation #KratomAdvocacy #KratomSavesLives #VeteransForKratom #ConsumersForKratom #OhioPolitics #OhioLegislature #NaturalKratom #BotanicalFreedom
@Ch52471437Wendy This information is literally founded on the general incompetence that naturally surrounds kratom because people don't know what it is. For example, two CORONERS were sued in Ohio as the only means to clarify a wrongfully determined cause of death. Lies hurt people.
@Rain09654229 No, it's not too late! The ohio board of pharmacy is under review by JCARR for attempting to bypass the regular rule-making process. They will have to go through CSI, JCARR while facing a tremendous amount of public pushback as well as two KCPA bills in committee.
ATTENTION OHIO ADVOCATES: Ohio Board of Pharmacy to Discuss Rule to Make Natural Kratom Schedule One Today!
📢PLEASE PAY ATTENTION OHIO ADVOCATES 📢
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has placed Rule 4729:9-1-01.2 (Mitragynine) on the June 8-9 Board agenda under the Rules section. This is the rule associated with scheduling natural kratom in Ohio. While we do not yet know exactly what action the Board intends to take, the fact that this rule is being discussed should be taken seriously. Many Ohioans believed the issue of natural kratom had been separated from the Board's previous actions. The Board previously clarified that its May 19 action was not intended to schedule natural kratom. Now, Rule 4729:9-1-01.2 has returned to the Board agenda, raising important questions about what comes next.
There are several reasons why Ohioans may wish to pay close attention:
• There is ongoing litigation and a Temporary Restraining Order involving the Board's kratom-related actions.
• Two Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) bills remain in committee. These bills represent a regulatory approach focused on age restrictions, testing requirements, labeling standards, and consumer protections rather than prohibition.
• National discussion surrounding kratom continues to evolve. Recent congressional testimony challenged some of the claims that have historically been used to justify scheduling efforts, including testimony that challenged claims surrounding a reported kratom-related death in Ohio.
• The American Kratom Association and other advocates have spent years promoting regulation rather than prohibition and have been active in Ohio policy discussions.
• If the Board advances the rule through the normal rulemaking process, additional review steps remain. Ohio's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) exists specifically to review agency rules and determine whether agencies have acted within their legal authority and followed required procedures.
• Businesses, consumers, veterans, chronic pain patients, and other stakeholders may continue to raise concerns regarding the impact of scheduling natural kratom.
• There have also been recent discussions at the federal level suggesting that some policymakers are considering regulatory approaches rather than outright prohibition of naturally derived products. "...approving natural 7-OH..."
I personally believe that moving forward with a ban on natural kratom would be scientifically unfounded and oppressive to responsible adults who use natural kratom to sustain well-being and quality of life. To make this herb in the coffee family a schedule 1 drug would ignore years of advocacy for a regulatory approach instead of prohibition.
Ohio Board of Pharmacy Meeting Agenda: https://t.co/ZsNg9OQchG
Now is the time for Ohio consumers, businesses, veterans, advocates, and policymakers to pay attention to what is happening with kratom legislation in Ohio. I know Ohio advocates will fight this tooth and nail. Let's see change for the entire nation starting here!
@LBlessing308@kristinaroegner @tgavarone @SteveHuffmanOH@BillReineke @JaneTimken @Rob_McColley@TheKratomAssn@kratomscience@TeamKratom@KratomTimes@MikeOdioso@lorenzforohio @Kpascuch @misteaz79@TauntonKratom@KratomGuyShow@OhioSenate
#Kratom #KeepKratomLegal #ProtectKratom #KCPA #OhioKratom #SB299 #AmericanKratomAssociation #KratomAdvocacy #KratomSavesLives #VeteransForKratom #ConsumersForKratom #OhioPolitics #OhioLegislature #NaturalKratom #BotanicalFreedom
@LNseven5 There was a greatly informative kratom related congressional briefing in DC very recently if you'd like to educate yourself. https://t.co/gi8BTaPw1M
ATTENTION OHIO ADVOCATES: Ohio Board of Pharmacy to Discuss Rule to Make Natural Kratom Schedule One Tomorrow!
📢PLEASE PAY ATTENTION OHIO ADVOCATES📢
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has placed Rule 4729:9-1-01.2 (Mitragynine) on the June 8-9 Board agenda under the Rules section. This is the rule associated with scheduling natural kratom in Ohio. While we do not yet know exactly what action the Board intends to take, the fact that this rule is being discussed should be taken seriously.
Many Ohioans believed the issue of natural kratom had been separated from the Board's previous actions. The Board previously clarified that its May 19 action was not intended to schedule natural kratom. Now, Rule 4729:9-1-01.2 has returned to the Board agenda, raising important questions about what comes next.
There are several reasons why Ohioans may wish to pay close attention:
• There is ongoing litigation and a Temporary Restraining Order involving the Board's kratom-related actions.
• Two Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) bills remain in committee. These bills represent a regulatory approach focused on age restrictions, testing requirements, labeling standards, and consumer protections rather than prohibition.
• National discussion surrounding kratom continues to evolve. Recent congressional testimony challenged some of the claims that have historically been used to justify scheduling efforts, including testimony that challenged claims surrounding a reported kratom-related death in Ohio.
• The American Kratom Association and other advocates have spent years promoting regulation rather than prohibition and have been active in Ohio policy discussions.
• If the Board advances the rule through the normal rulemaking process, additional review steps remain. Ohio's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) exists specifically to review agency rules and determine whether agencies have acted within their legal authority and followed required procedures.
• Businesses, consumers, veterans, chronic pain patients, and other stakeholders may continue to raise concerns regarding the impact of scheduling natural kratom.
• There have also been recent discussions at the federal level suggesting that some policymakers are considering regulatory approaches rather than outright prohibition of naturally derived products. "...approving natural 7-OH..."
I personally believe that moving forward with a ban on natural kratom would be scientifically unfounded and oppressive to responsible adults who use natural kratom to sustain well-being and quality of life. To make this herb in the coffee family a schedule 1 drug would ignore years of advocacy for a regulatory approach instead of prohibition.
Ohio Board of Pharmacy Meeting Agenda:
https://t.co/TBvUF86i1k
Now is the time for Ohio consumers, businesses, veterans, advocates, and policymakers to pay attention to what is happening with kratom legislation in Ohio. I know Ohio advocates will fight this tooth and nail. Let's see change for the entire nation starting here!
@MI_Republicans Please, differentiate between hearsay and the scientific evidence readily available if any would be willing to educate themselves before wrongfully making fear-based decisions which damage the lives of many innocent American citizens. The truth ----> https://t.co/Gz1zByl9p9
OFFICIAL TESTIMONY SUBMISSION LINK
https://t.co/OPkenbEHpA
Submit your written testimony there for SB 299.
WITNESS FORM PDF
https://t.co/Rx6rCyuYtc
EMAIL YOUR TESTIMONY PDF + WITNESS FORM PDF AS WELL
Senate General Government Committee contacts:
Kristina Roegner — [email protected] — (614) 466-4823
Theresa Gavarone — [email protected] — (614) 466-8060
Willis E. Blackshear, Jr. — [email protected] — (614) 466-4538
William P. DeMora — [email protected] — (614) 466-4583
Stephen A. Huffman — [email protected] — (614) 466-6247
Bill Reineke — [email protected] — (614) 466-8049
Jane M. Timken — [email protected] — (614) 466-0626
Copy/paste email line:
Tip: put one address in the To line and the rest in CC, then attach both PDFs.
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Helpful links:
SB 299 bill page: https://t.co/Xv3g19nKUG
SB 299 committee page: https://t.co/k9BNjTGaSV
Senate General Government Committee page: https://t.co/ZoxJywu3xG
Protect Kratom Ohio: https://t.co/lbStPan7kW
AKA science page: https://t.co/MRooeRitbX
📢 VERY GOOD NEWS FOR OHIO: SB 299 (An additional KCPA bill to HB 587) HAS ITS 2ND HEARING ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24 — Let's Keep The Momentum Going
Ohio’s kratom consumer protection bill, SB 299, is moving forward. It is scheduled for its 2nd hearing on March 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM in the Senate General Government Committee. The Ohio Senate’s upload page for that meeting lists S.B. 299 as an agenda item, and the Ohio Legislature bill page describes SB 299 as legislation regarding the sales of kratom products.
SB 299 represents a regulatory path forward. This bill advances a KCPA-style approach focused on consumer protections, product standards, and lawful adult access to natural kratom. Ohio supporters still have an important opportunity to help build the record in favor of regulation, consumer safety, and continued access.
WHAT SUPPORTERS SHOULD DO NOW
Submit written testimony through the official Senate upload page.
Use the official testimony portal for the March 24, 2026 Senate General Government Committee meeting and select S.B. 299. The page requires your name, email, testimony PDF, whether you are a Proponent/Opponent/Interested Party, and your testimony type.
Also complete the Witness Information Form.
The form asks for your name, whether you are representing yourself or an organization, your contact information, the bill number, your position (Proponent / Opponent / Interested Party), and a brief statement on your position.
Email your materials separately as PDFs.
After completing both documents, send:
your written testimony PDF
your completed witness form PDF
by email to the committee members as an added step to make sure your support is seen.
TESTIMONY INSTRUCTIONS
Write your testimony in support of SB 299
Save it as a PDF
Complete the Witness Information Form
Mark yourself as Proponent
Save that form as a PDF
Submit your testimony through the official Senate upload page
Then email both PDFs separately to the committee members by email Instructions & Links In Comments!
TESTIMONY TEMPLATE
Subject: Proponent Testimony – SB 299
Dear Chair Roegner and Members of the Senate General Government Committee,
My name is [Your Name], and I am writing in support of SB 299. I respectfully urge you to support this bill because responsible regulation of natural kratom is a better approach than prohibition.
[Briefly share your experience and why this bill matters to you. You may wish to include:]
How natural kratom has helped you
Why consumer protections and product standards are important
Why adults should retain access to plain leaf kratom
Why regulation is safer and more effective than a ban
SB 299 offers a practical and responsible framework to protect consumers while preserving access to natural kratom. I respectfully ask for your support.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[City, State]
[Email]
FINAL MESSAGE
Ohio still has a real opportunity to advance kratom regulation the right way & lead the way for other states to follow an equitable path for U.S. citizens.
Stand up for regulation. Stand up for access. Stand up for consumer protection.
LINKS AND CONTACTS IN COMMENTS
#kratom #kratomcommunity #kratomlife #kratomsaveslives #iamkratom #kratomusa #kratompowder #kratomtea #kratomvendor #kratomshop #wearekratom #keepkratomlegal #kratomlove #kratomlovers #kratomextract #kratomcapsules #kratomamerica #savekratom #kratomonline
@LBlessing308 (Primary sponsor of SB 299 - key senator in charge!)
@kristinaroegner (Chair, Senate General Government Committee - overseeing SB 299 hearings)
@tgavarone (Vice Chair, General Government Committee)
@SteveHuffmanOH (Committee member)
@BillReineke (Committee member)
@JaneTimken (Committee member)
@TheKratomAssn@kratomscience@TeamKratom@KratomTimes@MikeOdioso@lorenzforohio @Kpascuch @misteaz79@TauntonKratom@KratomGuyShow