‘He didn’t wake up:’ Mom shares story of son’s kratom death as regulation debate continues

Tennessee’s ban under “Matthew Davenport’s Law” (HB 1649) takes effect July 1, 2026, prohibiting kratom statewide, including powder, capsules, and extracts. For ongoing coverage of regulatory developments like these, the latest kratom news is worth bookmarking. Rounding out the week’s kratom news, Florida’s emergency rule restricting concentrated 7-OH — first issued by the state Attorney General in August 2025 — is set to expire on June 30, 2026. We will keep tracking this kratom news in next week’s Executive Summary.

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Retailers and supporters of natural kratom have said it treats pain and increases focus and energy with few side effects. Although it’s unclear if the president was referring to 7-OH or natural leaf kratom, it’s another sign the feds have turned over a new leaf on kratom. "For years, opponents of kratom have attempted to portray natural kratom leaf as a public health threat," said Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy for the American Kratom Association (AKA), an association of kratom vendors.

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White Rabbit kratom seltzer offers a unique experience that combines the benefits of kratom with delicious, bubbly refreshments. A fact sheet from the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration explains that consuming the plant produces stimulant effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses. “It is often used to self-treat and relieve pain, anxiety, depression, coughing or opioid withdrawals,” lawmakers said.

• A fact sheet from the Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration explains that consuming the plant produces stimulant effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses.
• But I want them also to be on alert for the fact that the people who make these kinds of addictive supplements are going to evolve.
• Traditional natural-leaf kratom powder and capsules are regulated separately, primarily through state Kratom Consumer Protection Acts.
• In the U.S., kratom is legal in nearly all states and not federally regulated.
• Kratom leaf companies have tried to distinguish themselves as wholly different from 7-OH manufacturers, who disagree with such delineations.

The researchers also highlighted that kratom can have sedative effects. There’s currently very little research on kratom’s effects on mood. This action might be behind the antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects reported by some kratom users. The active ingredient in kratom is called mitragynine. Many people also use kratom to self-treat symptoms of depression or anxiety.

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"The shapes of these molecules from kratom are very different than the shapes of things like morphine or fentanyl," Fenno says. "We've been advocating for exactly this type of regulatory approach − one that protects consumers from synthetic derivatives while preserving access to traditional botanical ingredients with centuries of safe use," Korehbandi said. But with action by the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the tide on kratom may finally be turning. When someone she trusted recommended a Feel Free tonic that contained kratom, she bought it from a local CBD store in Open Kratom 2021. She noted that a letter from Gov. Mike DeWine to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy said there were at least 200 Ohioans who died from kratom between 2019 to 2024. Always seek the advice of a physician or healthcare provider for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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Ensuring that your kratom shop sells only quality kratom is incredibly important. If you’re thinking about buying kratom, ordering online is definitely the way to go. FitzGerald said he hopes that if Boston adds its name to the kratom regulation list, it will help prompt state action. “We fully support regulations on kratom,” said Mac Haddow, senior public policy fellow with the industry group, the American Kratom Association. Personally, she said “I’m a mom and absolutely never want my kids to experiment with kratom and I think it is incredibly problematic.” Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham, said there’s some truth to that.

But, she added, “For my patients that come to me and have been using illicit opioids and have switched to kratom, they are reducing their risk. Dr. Kristin Martin, an addiction physician and chair of the American Osteopathic Associations Conjoint Committee on Addiction Medicine, said kratom is still an emerging area of research. Trouville, who is now suing the manufacturer of the kratom drinks her son consumed, suspects that’s part of the reason his death certificate reflects mitragynine toxicity as his cause of death.