Media Resources for Kratom Facts

Covering kratom? Start here. Verified numbers, primary sources, expert contacts, and the one distinction that most stories miss.

The story most coverage gets wrong

Kratom coverage in 2025 and 2026 has been dominated by products that are not kratom. Tablets, shots and gummies sold as "7-OH," "Ohmz" or "Superior Kratom Alkaloids" are chemically concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, a compound found only in trace amounts in the leaf. FDA calls it "an opioid that can be more potent than morphine" and, with HHS, has recommended it for Schedule I. DEA has confirmed these products are not kratom. When a story about a 7-OH overdose runs under a kratom headline, it misinforms readers and drives city councils toward bans on the natural leaf that leave the synthetic products untouched.

The American Kratom Association supports removing 7-OH products from the market and has said so publicly since January 2025. AKA represents consumers of natural leaf kratom, not the 7-OH industry.

Fact sheet: numbers you can cite

Claim	Figure	Source
Past-year U.S. kratom use	About 1.7 million people aged 12+, 0.6%	NSDUH 2021, via NIDA
Federal research investment	More than $100 million in NIDA-funded research	AKA Legislator's Guide, Sept. 2025
Kratom-associated deaths, 2011–2017	11, of which 2 involved kratom alone	2019 federal report, via NIDA
Opioid-related deaths, same period	More than 200,000	NIDA
Adolescents who have ever tried kratom	0.44%	NSDUH 2019, Journal of Adolescent Health
FDA human dose study	"Well tolerated at all dose levels"; up to 12,000 mg in five minutes without serious adverse event	FDA single ascending dose study
Typical serving size	175 mg or less in most products	AKA Advocate's Voice, Nov. 2024
7-OH in natural leaf products	Less than 2% of total alkaloids	AKA product label guide
States with a KCPA	22, as of Sept. 11, 2026	americankratom.org
States with a kratom ban	6, all before 2017; none since	AKA Advocate's Voice
HHS/FDA Schedule I recommendation for 7-OH	Transmitted to DEA July 29, 2025	FDA press announcement
First human trial of purified mitragynine	IND cleared; announced June 1, 2026	NIH news release

How to read a kratom death report

Before reporting a death as "caused by kratom," ask the medical examiner: Did toxicology distinguish mitragynine from 7-OH? Was the product tested, and was it a natural leaf product or a 7-OH concentrate? What other substances were present, and at what levels? Was a full drug panel run? Most reports that make headlines cannot answer these questions. AKA's brief Why Kratom Death Reports Are Unreliable and its analysis of the Tampa Bay Times "Deadly Dose" series are available on request, along with the underlying medical examiner records AKA obtained in Florida.

Terminology guide

Kratom / natural leaf kratom: leaf powder, capsules, teas and extracts made with food-grade solvents that keep the plant's natural alkaloid balance.
7-OH / 7-hydroxymitragynine: a trace metabolite of mitragynine. In concentrated, chemically produced form it is a potent opioid. Products marketed as 7-OH are not kratom.
Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl ("pseudo," "MP"): a further metabolite, also chemically produced, with higher abuse potential than 7-OH.
KCPA: Kratom Consumer Protection Act, the model state law regulating kratom.
GMP Qualified Vendor: a company that has passed AKA's annual independent third-party manufacturing audit.

Avoid"kratom overdose" when the product was 7-OH; "synthetic kratom" (the synthetic products are not kratom); "gas station heroin" (a marketing term, not a pharmacological one).

Voices you can quote

These stories are published, with permission, at Advocate Stories. Quote them with first name and state as shown; AKA can put you in touch with the individuals for a full interview.

Kratom saved me from being just another casualty of the opioid epidemic.

Jourdain · LouisianaVeteran, 32 · Six years clean from heroin

Kratom has saved my life. I was able to quit using opiates for my chronic back pain.

James · MissouriVietnam veteran

I am able to live a pain free life with Kratom without being a pain med addict.

Rhonda · GeorgiaVeteran, retired nurse

I have used Kratom as a safe, non-addictive herbal alternative to opioids to help me manage back pain for over 10 years.

Chris · North Carolina

More at In Their Own Words and advocatestory.org, organized by state and with a Veterans section.

Reporters: talk to a consumer in your coverage area

AKA maintains a network of consumers and veterans in every state who have agreed to speak with the press on the record. To be connected within one business day, email press@americankratom.org with MEDIA in the subject line and tell us:

your outlet and deadline;
the state or city your story covers;
the kind of voice you need (veteran, chronic pain, opioid recovery, small-business retailer, scientist);
whether you need an interview, a written statement, or photos and video.

AKA does not script advocates and does not sit in on interviews. For policy questions, contact Mac Haddow directly at 571-294-5978.

Experts available for interview

Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy, AKA: federal and state policy, KCPA, 7-OH scheduling.
Scientific advisors who have presented to Congress and the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, including Dr. Jack Henningfield (abuse potential, 8-Factor Analysis), Dr. Christopher McCurdy (University of Florida, kratom pharmacology) and Dr. Darshan Singh (Southeast Asian use patterns). Contact AKA to arrange.
Consumers willing to speak on the record, by state, through the American Kratom Protectors.