What is Kratom?

Kratom is found in the leaves of a tree found in Southeast Asia. The leaves are traditionally used as a tea or chewed, but in the United States kratom has been marketed as a “health” product and often sold in powder or capsule form. Kratom has become more and more popular in the past few years and easily accessible at gas stations, smoke shops and other retailers. In Minnesota state law changed making the sale of Kratom (7-OH) illegal to anyone under 21 as of August 1, 2026 yet it is fast becoming the opioid of choice in rural Minnesota due to its widespread availability.


Facts about Kratom:

  • Also known as 7-OH
  • It contains psychoactive compounds that occur in very low dose in the natural leaf. This is concentrated when marketed and sold as a powder or capsule potentially up to 7 times more potent than morphine
  • Higher potency levels can increase the risk of opioid-like effects, dependency or overdose
  • Kratom acts on opioid receptors in the brain therefore carrying the risk of addiction and withdrawal symptoms
  • It is not FDA-approved nor is it federally regulated as a controlled substance
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