Is Kratom Legal in Arkansas? 2026 Kratom Ban, 7-OH Law and Penalties

Arkansas is one of 10 states that ban kratom outright, and one of the strictest: possession of even a small amount is a felony, and 200 grams or more is charged as trafficking. This guide covers what Arkansas kratom law says in October 2026, the penalties in the Arkansas Code, the failed 2025 repeal bill, recent enforcement, and where to find free, confidential help in Arkansas if kratom has become hard to stop.

What Arkansas Kratom Law Says Right Now

Arkansas bans kratom through its controlled substances schedules, not through a law that names the plant. The Arkansas Department of Health List of Controlled Substances, issued under Arkansas Code sections 5-64-201 and 5-64-216 and now codified at 5 CAR Part 22, lists mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as Schedule I opium derivatives (items 24 and 25). The State Board of Health added both in a rule dated November 2015, and the ban has applied since early 2016. Because the alkaloids are scheduled, every product that contains them is covered, whatever it is called on the label.

Is 7-OH legal in Arkansas? No. 7-hydroxymitragynine is named in Schedule I, so Arkansas makes no distinction between natural kratom and concentrated 7-OH products. Three newer kratom-derived compounds, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16, are not named on the Arkansas list, but they have been federal Schedule I substances since August 26, 2026, which makes them illegal in Arkansas as in every state. You cannot buy kratom legally anywhere in Arkansas, in a store or online.

Arkansas Kratom Ban Update: 2025 and 2026

The Arkansas kratom ban did not change in 2025 or 2026. The one serious attempt to lift it was Senate Bill 534, the Arkansas Kratom Consumer Protection Act, filed on March 20, 2025 by Senator Greg Leding with Representative Jon Eubanks. The bill would have removed mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine from the controlled substances list and allowed sales to adults 18 and older, with 7-OH capped at 1% of a product’s alkaloids, annual product registration with the Department of Agriculture, lab certificates, labeling rules, and fines of up to $500, then $1,000.

Many searches for Arkansas kratom law quote a list of six ban states: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. That list comes from a Congressional Research Service legal sidebar dated November 28, 2023 (LSB11082) and is out of date. As of October 2026, 10 states ban kratom outright: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts (a one-year emergency order under court challenge), Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Rhode Island left the list on April 1, 2026, when it began regulating kratom for adults 21 and older. See every state on our kratom bans by state page.

Penalties for Kratom Possession and Delivery in Arkansas

Kratom offenses in Arkansas are charged under the general Schedule I rules in Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 64, and the penalty rises with the total weight, including any filler. Possession falls under section 5-64-419, possession with the purpose to deliver under 5-64-424, delivery under 5-64-426, and trafficking under 5-64-440. Sentence ranges come from section 5-4-401.

Weight matters more for kratom than for most Schedule I drugs, because plain leaf is bulky. Two hundred grams of powder is under half a pound, an amount some regular users keep at home, yet in Arkansas it meets the trafficking threshold with no proof of sale required. A court decides the actual sentence, and first-offense outcomes vary by county and by case.

Federal vs. Arkansas Kratom Law

Kratom is not scheduled under the federal Controlled Substances Act, but that gives no protection in Arkansas, because states may set stricter rules and Arkansas has. The Drug Enforcement Administration proposed Schedule I in August 2016 and withdrew the plan that October. Federal attention has since moved to concentrated 7-OH: the Food and Drug Administration recommended scheduling 7-OH products in July 2025, and the Drug Enforcement Administration published a notice of intent on July 6, 2026 to place 7-OH above a set threshold in Schedule I. No final order had been published by early October 2026.

Buying Kratom Near Arkansas and Traveling Through the State

The Health Picture Behind the Arkansas Kratom Ban

Kratom’s main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, act on the brain’s opioid receptors, which is why Arkansas lists them with opium derivatives. People commonly report stimulant-like effects at lower amounts and opioid-like or sedating effects at higher ones. Regular use can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal, which the National Institute on Drug Abuse describes as usually mild to moderate. Concentrated 7-OH is a different matter: the Food and Drug Administration says it can be more potent than morphine. About 1.7 million Americans aged 12 and older used kratom in 2021, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Dependence is a health condition, not a moral failing. People who stop suddenly can go into withdrawal, with restlessness, muscle aches, sweating, irritability, runny nose, stomach cramps, and poor sleep, often starting within 6 to 12 hours of the last use. Tapering or stopping with medical support is safer than stopping abruptly and alone. Read more in our guide to opioid rehab and treatment, the closest clinical match for kratom dependence.

Free Arkansas Help & Government Resources

Free, confidential help for kratom and 7-OH dependence is available across Arkansas. The lines below cost nothing to call, and asking about treatment is a health matter, not a legal one.

Finding Treatment for Kratom Dependence in Arkansas

No medication is approved specifically for kratom dependence. Because kratom acts on opioid receptors, clinicians often draw on the approaches used for opioid use disorder, and published case reports describe buprenorphine being used for people dependent on kratom. The right level of care depends on how long and how much you have used, and whether other substances or mental health conditions are involved. Common paths include:

For higher-intensity needs, residential rehab provides a structured, substance-free setting, while sober living homes support the move back to daily life. Arkansas Medicaid’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Services program covers substance use disorder assessment, counseling, intensive outpatient treatment, and detoxification: see rehabs that take Medicaid, free rehab options, and state-funded programs.

Browse drug and alcohol rehab centers in Arkansas by city, including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Fayetteville, Springdale, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Conway, Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, Texarkana, and West Memphis. Neighborhood pages cover Downtown Little Rock, Pleasant Valley in Little Rock, Geyer Springs in Little Rock, and Springdale Central. Near a state line, treatment in Tennessee, Missouri, or Texas may be closer. You can also search the full U.S. locations directory, all treatment programs, and our recovery resources.

Arkansas Kratom Laws: Frequently Asked Questions

Is kratom legal in Arkansas in 2026?

No. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are Schedule I controlled substances on the Arkansas Department of Health List of Controlled Substances, and have been since 2016. Kratom is illegal to possess, sell, or deliver in every Arkansas county.

Is 7-OH legal in Arkansas?

No. 7-hydroxymitragynine is listed by name in Schedule I, so 7-OH tablets, shots, and gummies are illegal in Arkansas in the same way as kratom leaf.

Which states ban kratom? Is the list “Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin” still right?

No. That six-state list comes from a Congressional Research Service legal sidebar dated November 28, 2023 (LSB11082). As of October 2026, 10 states ban kratom outright: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts (by a one-year emergency order under court challenge), Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Rhode Island has regulated kratom for adults 21 and older since April 1, 2026.

What is the penalty for kratom possession in Arkansas?

Under Arkansas Code 5-64-419, possession of less than 2 grams is a Class D felony (up to 6 years), 2 grams to under 28 grams is a Class C felony (3 to 10 years), and 28 grams to under 200 grams is a Class B felony (5 to 20 years). Possession of 200 grams or more is trafficking under 5-64-440, a Class Y felony carrying 10 to 40 years, or life.

Can you buy kratom in Arkansas or have it shipped there?

No. No store may sell kratom in Arkansas, and receiving it by mail means possessing a Schedule I substance in the state. Kratom bought legally in Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, or Missouri is illegal once it crosses into Arkansas.

Did Arkansas almost legalize kratom in 2025?

Senate Bill 534 would have removed kratom’s alkaloids from Schedule I and regulated sales to adults 18 and older. It passed the Senate on April 7, 2025, received a do-not-pass recommendation from a House committee on April 10, and died when the House adjourned on May 5, 2025. The next regular session begins in January 2027.

Are MGM-15 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl legal in Arkansas?

No. The Drug Enforcement Administration placed mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in federal Schedule I by temporary order on August 26, 2026, which applies in Arkansas. The Arkansas list does not name them separately.

Will getting treatment for kratom get me in legal trouble?

No. Calling a helpline or entering treatment does not create a criminal record, and federal rule 42 CFR Part 2 protects substance use disorder treatment records. Arkansas’s Joshua Ashley-Pauley Act (Arkansas Code 20-13-1704) also protects people who seek emergency medical help for an overdose in good faith from possession charges.

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