Minnesota raises kratom purchase age as poison center calls climb
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A new Minnesota law raises the legal age to buy kratom from 18 to 21, marking the state's first major step toward regulating a substance that's become widely available in gas stations and smoke shops.
Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia that's sold in capsules, powders, gummies and drinks marketed as energy boosters or pain relievers. Supporters of the law say increasingly potent, chemically altered kratom products can be addictive and pose greater health risks.
“We've seen a lot of people under 18 can just buy this," said Rep. Jessica Hanson, DFL-Burnsville, who authored the law. "The way it's marketed, there's no label on it informing consumers of its dangers."
Poison Center calls on the rise
The Minnesota Regional Poison Center has seen an increase in kratom-related calls involving withdrawal symptoms, bad reactions and overdoses. The federal U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has moved to temporarily ban several highly concentrated, synthetic compounds derived from kratom, including 7-hydroxymitraginine, a more concentrated form of kratom that can have opioid-like effects.
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Ryan Fuchs, the poison center’s associate medical director, said officials began tracking calls involving 7-hydroxymitragynine in early 2025.
“It was recognized that this is another sort of substance of abuse, or another psychoactive substance, that may have a separate or important clinical effect,” he said.
Research on 7-hydroxymitragynine is still limited, but Fuchs said some evidence suggests it is highly potent, which could increase the risk of dependence and withdrawal.
"We've received at least two-and-a-half times the number of calls from 2024 to 2025, and we're on a similar trend in 2026," he said. "We've already almost matched the number of calls from all of 2025."
Reported symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, agitation and seizures, Fuchs said. Some patients require prolonged hospital treatment.
"These products are very risky, highly concentrated and generally underregulated," Fuchs said. "If they're kept in the home, they should be kept away from children and pets."
Consumer awareness
The American Kratom Association, which advocates for legal kratom sales, supported Minnesota's new age restriction. Mac Haddow, the association’s senior public policy fellow, said bad actors are creating more potent products containing 7-hydroxymitraganine.
“Every consumer needs to be aware of the products they're buying,” he said. “If they pick up a product and it doesn't have labeling that's clear that describes what's in the product and recommends a serving size, they should not purchase that product.”
But he said traditional kratom use can help people boost energy or increase focus. In some cases, it can help users wean off opioid use, he said.
“There are 24 million Americans who regularly and safely consume kratom in the United States,” Haddow said. “That is the standard that we want to maintain in terms of the safety profile for each one of those consumers.
More state regulation of kratom could come next year. Hanson said she plans to introduce legislation covering product labeling, licensing and where kratom can be sold.
