Following the recent deaths of two college students at the University of Mississippi, the herbal supplement kratom and its synthetic counterparts have been thrust into national headlines — and for good reason. For most of my career as a police officer and Drug Recognition Expert, the drugs that concerned us were relatively easy to categorize. Cocaine was a stimulant. Heroin was an opioid. Marijuana was cannabis. The challenge today is that many emerging substances do not fit neatly into those categories.
Kratom is one of them.
Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. For generations, the plant has been used traditionally for energy, pain relief, and other purposes. In the United States, however, kratom has evolved into a rapidly expanding commercial market of powders, capsules, liquid extracts, gummies, tablets, and concentrated products sold online and in smoke shops, convenience stores, and gas stations.
That availability creates a dangerous misconception: if you can buy it legally at a store, it must be safe.
It is not that simple.
Kratom contains psychoactive alkaloids, primarily mitragynine and 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH). These compounds interact with opioid receptors in the brain. At lower exposures, kratom can produce stimulant‑like effects — increased energy, alertness, and talkativeness. At higher exposures, the presentation becomes increasingly opioid‑like, including relaxation, sedation, slowed responses, and potentially respiratory depression.
That mixed presentation should get the attention of every Drug Recognition Expert.
Unlike traditional drug categories where we anticipate consistent patterns of signs and symptoms, kratom impairment can vary dramatically depending on the product, concentration, dose, and whether other drugs are involved.
The newest concern is concentrated 7‑OH.
Naturally occurring kratom contains relatively small amounts of 7‑OH. Commercial products, however, have emerged containing concentrations far beyond those naturally found in the plant. DEA reports that these products are being sold as powders, tablets, capsules, gummies, and dissolvable strips. In July 2026, DEA announced its intent to temporarily place certain elevated‑concentration 7‑OH products and related substances into Schedule I, while specifically distinguishing them from ordinary botanical kratom containing naturally occurring levels of 7‑OH.
That distinction matters. Saying someone used “kratom” today may be as descriptive as saying someone consumed “alcohol” without knowing whether it was a beer or a bottle of hard liquor.
There are also parallels to what law enforcement experienced with K2 or Spice, although the drugs themselves are pharmacologically very different. K2 refers to laboratory‑created synthetic cannabinoids designed to produce marijuana‑like effects. These chemicals may be sprayed onto plant material or placed into vaping liquids. The similarity is not in the pharmacology — it is in the lesson. Both demonstrate how substances can be marketed in colorful packages, sold alongside everyday consumer products, and perceived as safer simply because they do not resemble traditional street drugs.
Kratom also occupies an unusual legal space. Traditional botanical kratom remains outside the federal Controlled Substances Act, although individual states regulate it differently. That does not mean the FDA has approved kratom as a medication or dietary supplement. Meanwhile, federal authorities have moved separately against concentrated and synthetic 7‑OH products because of their opioid‑like properties and potential for abuse.
Another important consideration is overdose. Because kratom’s active compounds interact with opioid receptors, naloxone — better known as Narcan — may reverse opioid‑like respiratory depression. But an initial response to Narcan should never be interpreted as the end of the emergency.
Naloxone has a relatively short duration of action, while kratom alkaloids can remain active much longer. Mitragynine is metabolized in part into the more potent opioid‑active compound 7‑OH, and published reports describe patients developing recurrent respiratory depression after initially responding to naloxone. In other words, a person may wake up, appear improved, and then become dangerously sedated again after the Narcan begins to wear off. Repeat naloxone dosing and continued medical observation may therefore be necessary. Anyone who is unconscious, difficult to awaken, or breathing abnormally after consuming kratom, 7‑OH, or any unknown substance requires immediate emergency medical care.
For parents, awareness begins with understanding what these products look like. Pay attention to unexplained powders, capsules, gummies, small drink bottles, extract shots, packets, or products labeled kratom, mitragynine, or 7‑OH. Do not assume something is harmless because it was purchased legally, sold as “natural,” or packaged like a supplement. Talk openly with teenagers and young adults about what these products actually are and why concentrated formulations deserve particular concern.
For police officers, avoid assuming that kratom will produce one predictable impairment profile. Look at the totality of observations: behavior, divided attention, coordination, vital signs, responsiveness, statements, containers, and other evidence of drug use. Be particularly alert to extreme sedation, decreased responsiveness, or abnormal breathing, where an opioid‑type emergency may be developing. Officers should also become familiar with the appearance and terminology of newer 7‑OH products.
The drug landscape has changed, and our level of awareness must change with it.
The next dangerous drug may not be handed over in a dark alley. It may be sitting under bright lights on the counter of a convenience store, wrapped in colorful packaging and marketed with words like “natural,” “herbal,” or “wellness.”
Parents cannot afford to judge danger by packaging, and police officers cannot afford to judge impairment by the name printed on a package.
Kratom is a reminder that the body does not care how a substance is marketed, where it was purchased, or whether someone believed it was legal. Pharmacology always gets the final word.
Kratom is still legal at the federal level and in most states, though the Drug Enforcement Administration describes it as one of its “drugs of concern.” This is an urgent call for kratom and its compounds to be made illegal by the federal government and all 50 states.
David Berez is a retired 20-year police veteran with the East Windsor (NJ) Police Department, and now serves on the Law Enforcement Advisory Council of Citizens Behind the Badge. He is a certified Drug Recognition Expert.
