Is kratom legal in Georgia? Yes, for adults 21 and older. Georgia regulates kratom under a 2024 state law, HB181, which BillTrack50 says was signed May 2, 2024 and took effect January 1, 2025, and it bars anyone under 21 from buying or possessing kratom.
Proposals to tighten those rules are in the news, and the 7-OH section below covers what has been proposed so far.
Is kratom legal in Georgia right now?
Georgia regulates kratom rather than banning it. The 2024 law, which BillTrack50 lists as HB181 and says was signed May 2, 2024, sets age limits, sales rules and labeling requirements. You can read the bill record on the Georgia General Assembly bill record. A kratom seller’s blog refers to the same law as LB 181.
Federally, FDA’s kratom page says that, as of November 2026, kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug, a dietary supplement or a food additive in conventional food, and no kratom drug product is approved or legally on the market. The same page says state health and law enforcement agencies are the best resource on state law. FDA’s kratom page is the starting point for the federal picture. NCCIH’s overview, last updated April 2022, says the DEA lists kratom as a “drug of concern,” but kratom is not on the U.S. controlled substance schedule. NCCIH’s kratom overview covers that.
For how Georgia compares with other states, see the legal status of kratom. This is information, not legal advice, so confirm the current text before you act on it.
What is the new Georgia kratom law?
BillTrack50’s summary of HB181 describes the rules below. They took effect January 1, 2025.
| Rule in the 2024 law | What BillTrack50’s summary says |
|---|---|
| Age limit | Prohibits selling or transferring kratom to anyone under 21, and prohibits anyone under 21 from buying or possessing it. |
| Vaping and heating devices | Prohibits ingesting kratom through a heating element or vaporizing mechanism, and prohibits selling those mechanisms. |
| Counter display | Prohibits selling kratom unless it is behind a counter or in a secured display. |
| Packaging and labels | Revises packaging requirements and sets labeling and concentration requirements. |
| Adulterated and synthetic products | Prohibits adulterated or synthetically modified kratom products, according to BillTrack50’s automated summary. |
| Registered agent | Requires manufacturers and others to maintain a registered agent in Georgia. |
| Penalties | Sets misdemeanor and felony charges for processors and retailers who break the rules, per BillTrack50’s automated summary. |
A kratom seller’s blog adds that the law caps the amount of mitragynine and 7-OH in a single serving of a product labeled as kratom. That is the seller’s description, so read the bill text on the Georgia General Assembly page above if the exact limits matter to you.
BillTrack50 still lists the bill’s original title, which refers to scheduling mitragynine and hydroxymitragynine as Schedule I. The seller’s blog says that scheduling language was replaced by a substitute at the bill’s first committee stop. The summary of the enacted law above does not describe scheduling.
Can you buy kratom at 18 in Georgia?
No. The 2024 law raised the age from 18 to 21, according to the seller’s blog, and BillTrack50’s summary says it bars anyone under 21 from buying or possessing kratom. Retailers who sell to younger buyers face penalties under the same law.
Is 7-OH legal in Georgia, and what is changing?
The 2024 law prohibits adulterated and synthetically modified kratom products, according to BillTrack50’s automated summary. Rep. Rick Townsend has said he plans to propose tighter rules aimed at 7-OH. Townsend told WSB-TV, “We need to outlaw 7OH and those synthetics, make it a felony to have it.” He also said he would be reluctant to support a total ban on kratom.
A kratom seller’s January 28, 2026 blog post describes a different bill, LB 968, which it says would make all kratom Schedule I and repeal the 2024 law. WSB-TV’s report and the seller’s post disagree on whether Townsend’s new bill would ban all kratom, so check the bill text on the Georgia General Assembly site before you rely on either account.
What is not known yet: whether any new bill passes, what it would say, and when it would take effect. These are plans, not current law.
Is kratom an opioid or opiate, and does it show as an opioid?
The CDC says kratom is not an opioid. Its 2019 report on overdose deaths explains that kratom is still tracked with opioid data because it has opioid-like properties. CDC’s 2019 kratom overdose report is the source for that.
The chemistry explains why the question comes up. NIDA says the main compounds, mitragynine and 7-OH, both activate the mu-opioid receptors that opioids such as codeine act on, but the resulting effects only partially compare to those of heroin or oxycodone. NIDA’s kratom overview covers that research.
The CDC notes that identifying kratom in postmortem toxicology is method-dependent. For what a given drug test detects, ask the testing lab or a clinician.
Is 7-OH stronger than kratom?
In receptor terms, yes. FDA says 7-OH makes up less than 2% of the total alkaloid content of natural kratom leaves, but it has substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine, the leaf’s main alkaloid, and than morphine. NIDA adds that mitragynine breaks down into 7-OH in the body, and that in laboratory models 7-OH can cause respiratory depression that naloxone reverses.
That is a receptor finding, not a measure of how a given product will affect you. NIDA says kratom products vary in concentration and in the mix of compounds, so their effects are difficult to predict.
Is 8 grams of kratom a day a lot?
This page can’t tell you what is right for you, but FDA’s page gives a reference point. FDA says that several recent studies found regular kratom users self-reporting use of less than 6 grams of botanical kratom per consumption. That figure is per use and comes from self-reports, and your question is about a day, so the two don’t line up neatly.
Bring your actual amounts and how often you take them to a clinician, who can look at your health and any other medicines you take. No dose is advised here.
Is kratom good for your brain?
Nothing has been proven. NIDA says kratom has not been proven safe or effective for any medical purpose, and research on how its compounds work in the brain is still active. Animal studies suggest kratom compounds may have antidepressant and pain-relieving properties that may warrant further study. Scientists have also observed that mitragynine may bind to adrenergic, serotonin and dopamine receptors, which may be behind some of the alertness people report.
What are my options for pain, withdrawal or mood problems?
Kratom is one option among several, and none of them is approved as a kratom product. The table lays out what each option is and who it suits, based on what the sources say.
| Option | Status as of November 2026 | What the sources report | What it costs | Who it suits and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kratom products (leaf powder, capsules, tea, liquid extract) | Sold in the U.S., but FDA says it is not lawfully marketed as a drug, supplement or food additive. Legal for adults 21 and older in Georgia under the 2024 law. | People report using it for pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, withdrawal and cravings. These are self-reported uses, not approved ones. | Set by the seller; check the price at checkout. | Adults 21 and older in Georgia. FDA warns consumers not to use kratom because of liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. |
| Concentrated 7-OH products | Named in Georgia’s proposed changes. FDA’s page lists actions it has taken to restrict 7-OH opioid products. | FDA says 7-OH has substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine and morphine. | Set by the seller. One WSB-TV interviewee said her husband spent $6,000 on synthetic kratom over several months. | Rep. Rick Townsend has said he wants 7-OH outlawed, so check the current rules before deciding. |
| FDA-approved kratom drug | None is on the U.S. market, per FDA. | NIDA says no kratom use is approved by the FDA. | Not applicable. | Not an option today. |
| Approved medicines for opioid withdrawal and use disorder (not kratom) | Approved. | NIDA says safe and effective medications are approved to help control withdrawal symptoms and cravings linked to opioid use disorder. It also says there are no approved medical therapies for kratom-related withdrawal. | Set by your prescriber, pharmacy and insurance. | People with opioid use disorder, decided with a clinician. |
| Kratom-derived compounds in research | Investigational. NIDA and the NIH HEAL Initiative support studies of chronic pain and opioid withdrawal. FDA awarded a grant in September 2024 for a human abuse potential study. | NIDA says robust clinical trials are still needed. | Set by each study; ask the study team. | People who qualify for a study. Not a product you can buy. |
| Standard pain and mental health care | Medical care, not a kratom product. NIDA points to the NIH Pain Consortium and the National Institute of Mental Health for information. | NIDA says kratom has not been shown safe and effective for pain or mental health conditions. | Set by your provider and insurer. | People with pain, anxiety or depression who want medical care. |
What are the side effects and risks?
NIDA and NCCIH both list the risks below. Read the full safety discussion in is kratom bad for your health.
| Effect or risk | What the sources report | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Common mild effects | Nausea, constipation, dizziness and drowsiness. | NIDA |
| Rare but serious effects | Seizures, high blood pressure, liver problems, confusion, tremors and slow breathing. | NCCIH; NIDA |
| Drug interactions | Use with other drugs has been linked to severe effects, including death and liver problems. | NIDA |
| Withdrawal and dependence | Some people report mild to moderate withdrawal when they stop. FDA reports cases of substance use disorder. | NIDA; FDA |
| Pregnancy | Effects are not well understood. FDA is aware of cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome after prolonged exposure before birth. | NIDA; FDA |
| Contamination | FDA has warned about products contaminated with Salmonella and concerning levels of heavy metals. | FDA |
| Driving and tasks | The effects of intoxication on driving or operating machinery have not been extensively studied. | NIDA |
On deaths, NIDA says a very small number have been linked to kratom products, and nearly all involved other drugs or contaminants. A 2019 CDC report covering July 2016 to December 2017 found kratom in 152 of 27,338 overdose deaths, and recorded kratom as a cause of death in 91 of them.
What is the street name for kratom?
The official pages use the plant’s scientific name, Mitragyna speciosa, and the compound names mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Sellers choose their own product names, so the label tells you more than a nickname does. Georgia’s 2024 law sets labeling requirements, so read what the label says about the product’s contents.
Before you decide
- Check the status of the new Georgia bill on the Georgia General Assembly site. The changes are plans, not law.
- Confirm your own state’s rules before relying on any Georgia rule. FDA says state health and law enforcement agencies are the best resource on state law, and the kratom legal status guide explains how to check current state sources.
- If you take prescription medicine, are pregnant, or have a health condition, talk with a clinician before you decide anything about kratom.
- For the full list of illegal drugs in Georgia, or the Tennessee rules you asked about, check the state legislature’s site. This page covers kratom in Georgia only.
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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