Unfortunately, decades of experience with the failed “war on drugs” demonstrates that such bans rarely work. Instead, bans tend to push drug use underground, creating black markets and making drugs more dangerous – not to mention criminalizing users.
Instead of banning kratom-related products, Ohio lawmakers should regulate them. That is the better way to protect consumers.7-OH and other kratom derivatives are primarily sold as tablets, drinks, gummy candies, vapes, and powders, often in convenience stores and vape shops where cigarettes and nicotine products are found. While some people use these products recreationally, others report using them for pain management. Still others report that 7-OH in particular has helped them manage opioid addiction.
Kratom and its related products represent a billion-dollar industry and growing. An estimated 1.9 million Americans aged 12 and older used kratom products in 2022, but tracking its use is difficult and some use estimates are much higher.Deaths from kratom use in general, including its derivatives, are exceedingly rare. And in the few cases where fatalities are reported, almost all involve the use of another substance, such as fentanyl, heroin, or prescription opioids.
This is not to say that 7-OH and other kratom-related compounds carry no risk. All drug use does. Since these products are not regulated at the federal or Ohio-state levels, they are susceptible to safety issues, contamination, and misleading labeling. And we know that 7-OH has the potential for abuse and addiction; families in our state have already felt its impact.
But pushing their use into the shadows via a ban would make kratom-related compounds more dangerous.
Prohibition would do nothing to eliminate pre-existing demand. And cartels and criminal enterprises would be happy to fill the void of a legal market with an unregulated underground alternative. In that environment, they could easily lace kratom-related products with more potent, addictive, and dangerous chemicals, just as we already see in the illicit markets for heroin and fentanyl.
Banning kratom-related products would also place additional strain on Ohio’s already overstretched criminal justice system. In Dayton, the police department remains critically understaffed, leaving little capacity to tackle a new black market. The city does not have the capacity to tackle a new black market. And criminalizing users of kratom derivatives would do little to address addiction. In fact, the trauma of incarceration often worsens substance use and leaves lasting scars on families and communities.
This is especially concerning given that Ohio continues to battle an opioid epidemic, with 3,664 residents dying from opioid overdoses in 2023. Furthermore, if 7-OH products can help manage opioid dependency, as some report, banning them would only hinder research and delay potentially life-saving solutions.
Kratom and its related products – including 7-OH – are not going away. Banning them would not make them disappear. A legal, regulated market offers a much safer alternative for consumers.
Lawmakers should remember this when considering Ohio Senate Bill 299, which would regulate natural kratom products while effectively banning 7-OH and other synthetic kratom-like compounds.
They have a choice: Repeat the mistakes of the “war on drugs” or take a smarter, evidence-based approach to public health and safety. By regulating all kratom-related products, setting clear safety standards, enforcing age restrictions, and monitoring distribution, Ohio can protect consumers, prevent dangerous black markets, and support individuals struggling with addiction.
The choice is clear.
Bryan Mauk, CEO of End It for Good, has over 15 years of experience supporting people affected by addiction, homelessness, and incarceration.