Synthetic kratom, or 7-OH, soon banned in Utah

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Utah will ban synthetic kratom, or 7-OH, from retailers starting May 6.
Whole-leaf kratom will remain available to those over 21 in Utah smoke shops.
Synthetic kratom will still be accessible online; treatment options are available for users.

SALT LAKE CITY — A supplement sold at your local gas station is considered an opiate-like drug by doctors. Kratom use has been on the rise here in Utah, but in a little over a month, it will be banned from Utah retailers. How will this break in supply impact Utah users?

Kratom products are marketed as a health supplement or an alternative pain medication, but Utah experts say this supplement has real side effects.

Megan Broekemeier is the overdose fatality examiner at the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner.

"We do see kratom overdoses all over the state, and it is impacting both males and females," she said.

The Office of the Medical Examiner has been tracking kratom, also called 7-OH, in overdose investigations since 2014. It reports an increase over the last two years.

"Fifty percent of kratom-only deaths have occurred in 2024 and 2025," Broekemeier said.

SB45 was signed into law and goes into effect May 6. Whole-leaf kratom will still be available in Utah smoke shops to people over 21, but the synthetic or enhanced supplement will be banned from Utah shelves. These are often sold in blister packs or pills.

Effective May 6, 2027, it will also be illegal to manufacture synthetic kratom in Utah. Legislators say there are currently nearly 50 manufacturers in our state making this enhanced product.

Bryce Herrera is a behavioral health program specialist at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.

"I think if someone's truly addicted, they're going to find a way to get it," he said.

Herrera said clients he's worked with have been using kratom for at least 10 years, but often in order to distance themselves from more traditional opiates or prescription pain medications. Lately, he's seeing more people pick up the drug because of the health benefits discussed in online spaces.

"With that said, I'm always in favor of putting barriers in place, making it more difficult to access. Sometimes, just that forced moment of inconvenience can help my clients make a better choice," Herrera said.

Synthetic and enhanced kratom will still be available to Utahns via online sales like Amazon.

Doctors say that for people struggling with a dependence on kratom, treatment is available.

"Because it acts so similar to what opiates are in the brain, there are already treatment resources available. And so we don't have to reinvent the wheel," Herrera said.

Naloxone is effective for kratom overdose; it's available over the counter or for free at Utah Naloxone. For treatment options, people can reach out to their local physician or online at Utah Recovers.

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