The Kratom Civil War Is Heating Up, and MAHA Has Picked a Side

Article excerpt

Health Secretary RFK Jr. is pushing to ban 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound in kratom that produces opioid-like effects, triggering fierce resistance from the American Kratom Association (MAHA). The move has split the kratom industry itself: some producers welcome stricter regulation to legitimize the market, while others fear a ban would destroy their business. With kratom already widely sold in US gas stations and online retailers, the battle reflects deeper tensions over how to regulate botanical substances that occupy murky legal territory between dietary supplements and controlled drugs. The outcome could reshape the kratom market, or eliminate it entirely.