Minnesota raised the legal age to purchase kratom from 18 to 21, marking the state’s first major law regulating the substance, effective Aug. 1, MPR News reported Aug. 3.
The drug is derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, with leaves containing over 50 alkaloids, including mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid in the plant, and 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a minor alkaloid that comprises less than 2% of the total alkaloid content in natural kratom leaves.
The legislation comes as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has moved to temporarily place 7-OH and three related substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Here are three things to know:
1. The law aims to address concerns over increasingly potent, chemically altered kratom products, including those containing 7-OH, a concentrated compound with opioid-like effects. Rep. Jessica Hanson, DFL-Burnsville, who authored the legislation, said additional regulations covering product labeling, licensing and retail sales could be introduced next year.
2. The Minnesota Regional Poison Center has reported a sharp increase in kratom-related calls involving withdrawal symptoms, overdoses and other adverse reactions. Ryan Fuchs, the center’s associate medical director, said the poison center has received at least 2.5 times as many calls in 2025 as in 2024 and has nearly matched all of 2025’s total during 2026. Reported symptoms have included nausea, vomiting, confusion, agitation and seizures, with some patients requiring prolonged hospital treatment.
3. The American Kratom Association supported the new age restrictions. The group’s senior fellow on public policy, Mac Haddow, said consumers should avoid products that lack clear ingredient labels and serving size recommendations while attributing safety concerns to highly concentrated products containing 7-OH.
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