Is 7-OH Banned Right Now? August 2026 Federal vs. State Status

Federal checkpoint: August 26, 2026.

Is 7-OH banned right now? There is no accurate one-word answer for the entire United States. On August 26, DEA temporarily placed three related compounds—mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15, and MGM-16—in Schedule I. The separate federal process for 7-hydroxymitragynine above a proposed threshold had not yet produced a temporary scheduling order. HHS extended public comments about that threshold through September 10, 2026.

State and local law can be stricter than the federal Controlled Substances Act, and FDA marketing law is a separate question. A product can therefore be restricted for a destination even when its named substance is not federally scheduled under the specific August 26 order.

Federal status in one table

What changed on August 26

DEA’s temporary order became effective for MGPI, MGM-15, and MGM-16 when it was published in the Federal Register on August 26. The order applies the regulatory controls and penalties associated with Schedule I controlled substances and is scheduled to remain in effect until August 26, 2028. DEA may extend the temporary period or pursue permanent scheduling through a separate process.

The Justice Department described the action as directed at manufactured products containing potent opioid compounds related to mitragynine or 7-OH, rather than traditional botanical kratom. DOJ also announced enforcement discretion when only incidental trace MGPI is confirmed in a product otherwise consistent with botanical kratom. That policy does not change MGPI’s Schedule I status, and it excludes MGM-15, MGM-16, and deliberately manufactured, concentrated, fortified, or intentionally added MGPI.

What remains pending for 7-OH itself

DEA’s July 6 notice proposed temporary Schedule I placement for 7-OH above specified thresholds. It described botanical material above 0.050% 7-OH by dry weight and certain synthetic or processed articles above 0.050% or containing more than 1.00mg of 7-OH per article. Those figures are proposed federal threshold language; they are not a home testing method or a blanket conclusion for a retail label.

HHS opened a Request for Information about the threshold and, on August 26, extended the deadline for comments, data, and information to September 10. The extension is limited to the threshold question. It does not decide permanent scheduling, approve concentrated 7-OH products, or publish the temporary order that would make the proposed 7-OH control effective.

The DEA 7-OH Scheduling Tracker keeps these two federal lanes separated.

Why “7-OH ban” headlines can mislead

A headline may use “7-OH” as shorthand for several different things: concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, MGPI, MGM-15, MGM-16, a branded tablet, or a broad category of kratom-related products. Federal documents regulate chemical identities and defined thresholds, not a retailer’s informal category name.

That distinction matters because these compounds are psychoactive and opioid-receptor active. 7-OH and the three compounds in the August order are potent mu-opioid-receptor agonists associated with dependence and other serious risks. Mitragynine also has psychoactive activity and its own risk profile, but sharing part of a chemical name does not make MIT identical to a scheduled derivative.

Federal scheduling, FDA status, and state law are three separate checks

1. Controlled Substances Act: identify the substance and read the effective DEA order, not only an announcement or notice.
2. FDA law: FDA states that kratom and its known alkaloids are not lawfully marketed as prescription or over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements, or conventional-food additives. A substance being unscheduled does not equal FDA approval.
3. State and local rules: states, counties, and cities may prohibit kratom broadly, restrict 7-OH or extract products, set age or labeling rules, or affect shipping and retail sales.

Use the Kratom Legality & Shipping Restrictions page for the current KP shipping screen, then confirm the controlling rule with the destination’s state or local authority.

Where MIT tablets and powder fit

The August 26 order placed MGPI, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I; it did not place mitragynine itself in Schedule I. Current Kratom Paradise MIT products are organized as 150mg MIT Mango chewable tablets and MIT 90% Mitragynine Extract Powder. They are not sold as 7-OH products or as copies of a 7-OH effect.

The relevant comparison is format and evidence, not a legal loophole. The tablet line links to a finished-tablet report for identified lot M/150/002. The powder line links to a concentrate report for identified sample DD00126B(15). Read Looking for a Legal 7-OH Alternative? and MIT Tablets vs MIT Extract Powder before comparing the current catalog.

A five-step status check before ordering

1. Write down the exact substance and complete product title.
2. Separate a notice, request for information, press release, temporary order, and enforcement policy.
3. Confirm the effective date in the controlling document.
4. Check FDA status separately from scheduling status.
5. Check the destination’s current state and local rules before relying on a product page.

Regulatory status can change quickly. Reopen the official documents instead of relying on an old screenshot, cached snippet, or undated social post.

Open the federal 7-OH scheduling tracker

Official sources

• DEA temporary Schedule I order for MGPI, MGM-15, and MGM-16
• HHS extension of comments on the proposed 7-OH threshold
• DEA July 6 notice for 7-OH above a specified threshold
• Justice Department August 25 announcement
• FDA overview of the 7-OH process
• FDA and Kratom

Featured image credit: DEA Administrator Terrance Cole official portrait, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, public domain.

Regulatory-document education only; no legal, medical, serving, or purchasing advice.