Kratom Poison Control Calls Surged 1,200% in a Decade, CDC Study Finds, as Potent Derivative 7-OH Fuels New Wave of Hospitalizations

Calls to poison control centers across the United States about kratom — a widely sold herbal supplement available at gas stations, vape shops, and online retailers in every state — surged 1,200 percent over the past decade, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published March 27, 2026, in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Kratom-related hospitalizations rose from 43 in 2015 to 538 in 2025, and the study identified 233 deaths linked to the substance over the 11-year period — figures that researchers say almost certainly undercount the true toll because kratom is rarely tested for in standard hospital toxicology screens.

Kratom is derived from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, native to Southeast Asia, and contains alkaloids that bind to opioid receptors in the human brain. At low doses it produces stimulant effects; at higher doses, sedative and euphoric effects similar to opioids. Marketed as a "natural" alternative for pain relief, opioid withdrawal management, and energy enhancement, kratom is legal in most US states and sold under names including Remarkable Herbs, Super Speciosa, and dozens of store brands. The supplement industry has argued that kratom is safe when used as directed and that the spikes in adverse events largely reflect rising awareness and reporting rather than rising risk.

The CDC's analysis found that the 2025 spike in calls — a 38 percent year-over-year increase, the largest single-year jump in the data — is disproportionately explained by a specific kratom derivative called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH. Products containing 7-OH in concentrated form began proliferating in online and retail markets beginning in 2023 and are now found in kratom shots, gummies, and capsules specifically marketed to users seeking opioid-like effects. Toxicologists have found that 7-OH is approximately 13 times more potent than morphine at the mu-opioid receptor, and its effects are not reliably reversed by naloxone, the standard opioid overdose antidote.

The DEA reviewed kratom for emergency scheduling in 2016 before withdrawing its proposal after public backlash from kratom advocates who argued it was helping people transition off prescription opioids. The new CDC data is renewing calls for federal action. The American Medical Association issued a statement March 28 calling on the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration to immediately schedule 7-OH under the Controlled Substances Act and to require warning labels on all kratom products. Six states — Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin — have already banned kratom outright.

CDC toxicologist Dr. Meredith Ingle, the study's lead author, said the data reflects a product that has evolved significantly from its original form. "What consumers are purchasing today is often very different from the dried leaf powder that was studied in earlier research," Ingle said. "The concentration of active alkaloids in commercial products has increased dramatically, and 7-OH is particularly concerning because its overdose risk is high and traditional overdose reversal protocols may not be effective." The CDC data does not resolve the politically contentious question of whether kratom prohibition would drive users back to more dangerous synthetic opioids — a concern that has historically made federal regulators hesitant to act.