Yes. Kratom is illegal everywhere in Louisiana, including New Orleans, as of October 2026. Louisiana’s law covers material derived from Mitragyna speciosa leaves and substances containing mitragynine or 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), so the practical answer is the same whether a label says leaf powder, extract, or 7-OH.
Louisiana’s ban took effect August 1, 2025, and WDSU reported it classifies kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance. The part that matters most if you live in or travel through Louisiana is simple: do not assume a product’s name, format, or legality in a neighboring state makes it lawful to possess in Louisiana.
What Louisiana law actually says
Louisiana enacted Senate Bill 154, Act 41 of 2025. The operative statute is Louisiana Revised Statute 40:966.1, which makes it unlawful to knowingly possess, produce, manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess with intent to distribute kratom.
Its definition is broad: “kratom” means a substance derived from the leaves of the kratom tree, or a substance containing mitragynine or 7-OH. That is why a concentrated 7-OH product is not a workaround under Louisiana law.
What could happen if you are caught with kratom?
The statute separates simple possession from production or distribution. The exact facts of a case matter, so speak with a Louisiana-licensed attorney about a specific situation.
| Conduct under R.S. 40:966.1 | What the statute says |
|---|---|
| Possession of 20 grams or less | A fine of up to $100 on conviction. |
| First possession conviction over 20 grams | Up to a $500 fine, up to six months in parish jail, or both. |
| Second or later possession conviction over 20 grams | Up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in parish jail, or both. |
| Producing, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or intent to do so, under 500 grams | Up to a $50,000 fine, one to three years of imprisonment, or both. |
| Producing, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or intent to do so, 500 grams or more | The statute provides a higher penalty tier, including imprisonment of up to five years. |
That is the legal cost to focus on—not a product price. A bag bought elsewhere can still create a Louisiana possession issue once it is in the state.
Why did Louisiana ban kratom?
The law itself gives the prohibition and penalties; the public-health debate behind it centers on safety, concentrated products, and uncertainty about health effects. In its August 2025 report, WDSU reported Louisiana health officials cited an increase in kratom-related deaths from eight in 2018 to 53 in 2021.
At the federal level, the FDA’s kratom overview says there are no legally marketed prescription or over-the-counter drug products containing kratom or its known alkaloids. It also warns about serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder. The FDA distinguishes natural leaf from products that concentrate 7-OH: 7-OH occurs naturally in leaf but is a minor constituent, while concentrated products raise a different potency question.
Is 7-OH legal in Louisiana?
No. Louisiana’s definition specifically includes any substance containing 7-hydroxymitragynine. A package marketed as 7-OH, a tablet, a shot, or an extract does not change that state-law coverage.
This distinction still matters outside Louisiana. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains that mitragynine and 7-OH interact with opioid receptors in the brain, while noting that research in people remains early and that kratom has not been shown safe and effective for a medical use. A label that merely says “kratom” does not tell you whether it is plain leaf, an extract, or a concentrated alkaloid product. For the label questions that matter in states where products are allowed, see lab-tested kratom.
Which states ban kratom in 2026?
As of October 2026, the October 2026 state tracker lists ten states with full statewide kratom bans: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. It also describes a patchwork elsewhere: some states regulate sales with age, labeling, testing, or 7-OH rules, while others have no statewide kratom law.
That is not the same thing as one national “legal map.” A state may allow natural leaf while restricting a concentrated 7-OH product; a city or county may also have its own rule. Rhode Island is an important example of why old maps mislead: the tracker says its former ban was reversed effective April 1, 2026 under a regulated adult-sales framework.
For federal context, NCCIH says kratom and its compounds are not listed in the federal schedule of controlled substances, but state rules can be stricter. Before crossing a state line, check the current statute or agency rule for the product’s exact identity—not a social post or an old map.
What does “Schedule I” mean here?
In this context, it means Louisiana has placed kratom under its controlled-substance framework and made the conduct listed in R.S. 40:966.1 unlawful. It does not create a “legend drug” pathway. A legend drug is a prescription-only product under state and federal drug-law terminology; kratom is not a prescription medicine that a clinician can simply prescribe under this statute.
What does the research say about kratom and 7-OH?
Kratom is a tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. NCCIH says people have reported stimulant-like effects as well as opioid- and sedative-like effects, but reports of use are not the same as proof of a medical benefit. The FDA says human research is limited and ongoing.
| Question | What current public-health sources say |
|---|---|
| Is there an FDA-approved kratom treatment? | No. FDA says no prescription or over-the-counter kratom drug products are legally on the U.S. market. |
| What are common reported effects? | NCCIH lists nausea, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness among reported effects. |
| What are serious concerns? | FDA and NCCIH describe reports including seizures, liver problems, high blood pressure, slow breathing, and substance use disorder. |
| Does combining substances matter? | NCCIH says use with other drugs has been linked to deaths and severe adverse effects; drug interactions need more research. |
| What does 7-OH change? | FDA says it is a minor natural leaf constituent but has substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine. |
The CDC’s 2019 analysis examined overdose deaths in 27 states where kratom was detected in postmortem toxicology between 2016 and 2017. That historical report is useful context, but it does not answer whether one particular product caused a particular outcome.
If you were using kratom for pain or to move away from opioids
You still have options to discuss with a clinician, even though kratom is prohibited in Louisiana. The productive next conversation is about the problem you were trying to solve—pain, sleep, anxiety, opioid withdrawal, or something else—not about finding a substitute product across a border.
For pain after stopping, this site’s pain care after stopping kratom guide can help you frame that conversation. If regular use has become hard to stop, tell a clinician exactly what type of product you used, whether it was leaf or an extract, and whether 7-OH appeared on the label. That detail helps them understand the situation without asking you to guess.
Before you order, travel, or keep a product
- In Louisiana, do not possess or bring kratom, extracts, or 7-OH products into the state.
- Outside Louisiana, identify the product first: whole leaf, extract, and concentrated 7-OH can face different rules.
- Check the current state statute or health-agency rule on the day you act; laws change quickly.
- If a product label is relevant where you live, keep its lot number and ingredient panel. Our guide to kratom quality explains the details worth reading.
- For a legal charge, cross-border question, or recording/privacy question, use a Louisiana-licensed attorney; those topics depend on facts beyond the kratom statute.
Disclosure: UltimateKratom.com may receive compensation from some links on the site.
By UltimateKratom.com Research Desk
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
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