Is Kratom Legal in Connecticut? (2026 Law)

Kratom is illegal in Connecticut. Since April 2, 2026, the state's Schedule I regulation, RCSA 21a-243-7, has listed both "Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), including its leaves, stem and any extracts" and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), as Public Act 25-101 directed. Connecticut therefore has no kratom age limit or retail rules; possession of any quantity is a class A misdemeanor under Conn. Gen. Stat. 21a-279, and selling carries up to 7 or 15 years for a first offense under 21a-277, depending on a classification question the statute leaves open. For other states, see our guide to kratom laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-11. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Connecticut state law on kratom and 7-OH: the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Schedule I regulation (RCSA 21a-243-7), Public Act 25-101, the scheduling, definition, licensing, possession and sale sections of Chapter 420b of the General Statutes (21a-240, 21a-243, 21a-246, 21a-277, 21a-278, 21a-278a, 21a-279, 21a-283a), the misdemeanor sentencing sections and the impaired-driving statute, with one paragraph on federal law. It does not cover municipal ordinances, employer or school policies, federal property or other states' laws.

Is kratom legal in Connecticut?

No. Kratom and 7-OH are Schedule I controlled substances in Connecticut. The ban reaches the plant itself, not only concentrated 7-OH products. The Schedule I regulation lists them as two separate entries:

(44) 7-hydroxymitragynine; ... (47) Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), including its leaves, stem and any extracts;

Mitragynine, the plant's main alkaloid, does not appear as its own entry; the kratom entry covers the plant, its leaves and stem, and any extracts.

DCP's March 23, 2026 announcement put the practical effect plainly:

All products containing any of the following recently scheduled substances are illegal to possess, manufacture, sell or distribute: Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), including its leaves, stem and any extracts; 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH, a kratom derivative); Bromazolam; Flubromazolam; Nitazenes...; Tianeptine; Phenibut

Connecticut is not a Kratom Consumer Protection Act state. Chapter 420b contains no kratom age limit, labeling rule or retail registration scheme; sale is prohibited outright because the substance is in Schedule I.

How Connecticut made kratom Schedule I

Two legal sources did the work, a year apart, and it helps to keep them separate.

The statute (2025). Connecticut schedules drugs by regulation rather than in the statute books. Section 21a-240(9) defines a "controlled substance" as "a drug, substance or immediate precursor in schedules I to V, inclusive, of the Connecticut controlled substance scheduling regulations adopted pursuant to section 21a-243." Public Act 25-101 (Substitute House Bill 6855), approved June 24, 2025 and effective from passage, added 21a-243(i)(2), which ordered the Commissioner of Consumer Protection to amend those regulations:

to designate the following substances, by whatever official, common, usual, chemical or trade name designation, as controlled substances and classify each such substance in the appropriate schedule: (A) 7-hydroxymitragynine; (B) Bromazolam; (C) Flubromazolam; (D) Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), including its leaves, stem and any extracts; (E) Nitazenes, including, but not limited to, isotonitazene; (F) Tianeptine; and (G) Phenibut.

The act itself did not put kratom in a schedule. It told DCP to do so.

The regulation (2026). DCP carried out that order by amending RCSA 21a-243-7 through Regulation-Making Record PR2025-018. The Legislative Regulation Review Committee approved the amendment on February 24, 2026; DCP's release that day said the committee "unanimously approved regulations Tuesday to update the controlled substance drug schedule for several substances, including Mitragyna Speciosa, also known as Kratom." This is a permanent regulation, not an emergency rule, and it carries no expiration date.

March 25 or April 2, 2026?

Two official dates circulate. DCP's March 23, 2026 release described the designations as "effective Wednesday, March 25, 2026" and told retailers to remove the products. The Secretary of the State's confirmation attached to the final regulation reads: "The effective date of this regulation is April 2, 2026." The regulation's own history line also records "Amended April 2, 2026." This page uses April 2, 2026 as the legal effective date and notes DCP's earlier March 25 messaging.

Is there an age limit for kratom in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut has no kratom age limit because there is no lawful retail market for an adult to buy from. Schedule I status applies to buyers of every age.

Penalties for kratom in Connecticut

Kratom and 7-OH carry the same penalties as other non-cannabis controlled substances. No section of Chapter 420b sets a kratom-specific penalty.

Possession

Section 21a-279(a)(1), as amended by Public Act 26-8, section 21 (effective October 1, 2026, which changed only the cannabis cross-reference), reads:

Any person who possesses or has under such person's control any quantity of any controlled substance, except any quantity of cannabis, as defined in section 21a-240, and except as authorized in this chapter or chapter 420f, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

A class A misdemeanor carries up to one year (53a-36(1)) and a fine of up to $2,000 (53a-42(1)). The possession offense has no weight tiers; "any quantity" is enough.

• Second offense. The court "shall evaluate such person and, if the court determines such person is a drug-dependent person, the court may suspend prosecution of such person and order such person to undergo a substance abuse treatment program" (21a-279(a)(2)).
• Later offenses. The court "may find such person to be a persistent offender for possession of a controlled substance in accordance with section 53a-40" (21a-279(a)(3)).
• Near a school or child care center. Section 21a-279(b) makes possession within 200 feet of a school or licensed child care center, by a person who is not a student there, a class A misdemeanor that carries a mandatory term of imprisonment and probation with community service.

Overdose protection. Under 21a-279(d), the possession offense does not apply to a person who in good faith seeks medical help for someone they reasonably believe is overdosing, to the person for whom help is sought, or to a person who seeks help for their own overdose, "if evidence of the possession or control of a controlled substance in violation of subsection (a) of this section was obtained as a result of the seeking of such medical assistance." Seeking help while a warrant is being executed or a lawful search is under way does not count as good faith. The protection covers possession only, not sale.

Sale, possession with intent to sell, and manufacture

Section 21a-277 covers anyone who would "manufacture, distribute, sell, prescribe, dispense, compound, transport with the intent to sell or dispense, possess with the intent to sell or dispense, offer, give or administer to another person" a controlled substance. Which of its two penalty tiers applies to kratom is an open question, because the tier turns on statutory definitions that do not name kratom:

• Subsection (a), narcotic or hallucinogenic substances: up to 15 years and a fine of up to $50,000 for a first offense; up to 30 years and $100,000 for a second; up to 30 years and $250,000 for any later offense.
• Subsection (b), any other controlled substance (except cannabis): a fine of up to $25,000, up to 7 years, or both, for a first offense; up to $100,000, up to 15 years, or both, for any later offense.

The "narcotic substance" definition in 21a-240(30) is not limited to named drugs: its morphine-type branch covers "opium or opiate, or any salt, compound, derivative, or preparation of opium or opiate which is similar to any such substance in chemical structure or which is similar to any such substance in physiological effect and which shows a like potential for abuse," and 21a-240(33) defines "opiate" as "any substance having an addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability similar to morphine or being capable of conversion into a drug having addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability." The definition also covers poppy, fentanyl-type and cocaine-type substances. The "hallucinogenic substances" definition in 21a-240(23) covers "psychodysleptic substances ... which assert a confusional or disorganizing effect upon mental processes or behavior and mimic acute psychotic disturbances." Neither definition names kratom, mitragynine or 7-OH, and the statutes do not say which tier applies to them.

The same question decides whether a mandatory minimum applies. Section 21a-278(b) requires a person who is not drug-dependent and who sells or possesses with intent to sell "(A) a narcotic substance, (B) a hallucinogenic substance, (C) an amphetamine-type substance, or (D) one kilogram or more of a cannabis-type substance" to serve "not less than five years or more than twenty years" for a first offense and "not less than ten years or more than twenty-five years" for any later offense. The minimum "shall not be suspended, except that the court may suspend the execution of such mandatory minimum sentence if, at the time of the commission of the offense, such person was under the age of eighteen years or such person's mental capacity was significantly impaired," and 21a-283a lets a court depart from a mandatory minimum on a showing of good cause, subject to the limits in that section. If kratom or 7-OH is not a narcotic or hallucinogenic substance, 21a-278(b) does not reach it.

Chapter 420b reaches cultivation through its licensing section. Section 21a-246(a) provides that "no person within this state shall manufacture, wholesale, repackage, supply, compound, mix, cultivate or grow, or by other process produce or prepare, controlled substances without first obtaining a license to do so from the Commissioner of Consumer Protection," and 21a-277 penalizes anyone who would "manufacture" a controlled substance "except as authorized in this chapter."

Location and minor enhancements

Section 21a-278a adds mandatory consecutive time on top of a 21a-277 or 21a-278 sentence:

• Schools, public housing and child care centers. Violating 21a-277 or 21a-278 by manufacturing, distributing, selling or another listed act, with intent to commit the violation at a location the trier of fact finds is in or on, or within 200 feet of the perimeter of, a public or private elementary or secondary school, a public housing project or a licensed child care center carries an added three years that "shall not be suspended and shall be in addition and consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed for violation of section 21a-277 or 21a-278." Public Act 21-102 set the 200-foot distance, replacing 1,500 feet.
• Selling to a minor. A person 18 or older who is not drug-dependent and distributes to a person under 18 who is at least two years younger adds two consecutive years.
• Using a minor. Using a minor in the offense adds three years.

Section 21a-283a's good-cause departure from a mandatory minimum excludes violations of 21a-278a(a) and (c); the school-zone term in 21a-278a(b) is not among those exclusions.

Research licenses

The licensing route in Chapter 420b runs through DCP. Under 21a-246(a), no one may "operate a laboratory for the purpose of research or analysis using controlled substances without first obtaining a license to do so from the Commissioner of Consumer Protection." Teaching laboratories in licensed institutions are exempt, except for narcotic drugs and Schedule I and II substances. Connecticut's psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program covers MDMA and psilocybin, not kratom.

Federal scheduling and Connecticut

Connecticut automatically follows new federal scheduling of a drug it has not already scheduled. Section 21a-243(h) provides:

When a drug that is not a controlled substance in schedule I, II, III, IV or V, as designated in the Connecticut controlled substance scheduling regulations, is designated to be a controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act, such drug shall be considered to be controlled at the state level in the same numerical schedule from the effective date of the federal classification.

The same subsection lets the Commissioner designate a substance differently from the federal schedule, and 21a-243(g) lets the federal schedule control an inconsistency unless Connecticut's schedule is higher. Because kratom and 7-OH are already in Connecticut Schedule I, a federal 7-OH order would not change their state status. The three compounds the DEA placed in federal Schedule I by temporary order effective August 26, 2026 (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16) are not listed in RCSA 21a-243-7. Section 21a-243(h) does not distinguish temporary from permanent federal scheduling, and 21 U.S.C. 811(h)(1) describes a temporary order as one by which the Attorney General may "schedule such substance in schedule I." On its text, 21a-243(h) would treat those compounds as controlled in Connecticut Schedule I from August 26, 2026; no Connecticut court or DCP statement addresses the point, and DCP has issued no release or regulation amendment listing them.

Federal kratom law

Kratom leaf, mitragynine and 7-OH are not listed in the federal schedules in the October 6, 2026 version of 21 CFR 1308.11. The DEA's temporary order placed mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 in federal Schedule I effective August 26, 2026 (91 FR 54948). The DEA filed a new notice of intent (FR Doc. 2026-20943, filed for public inspection October 9, 2026 and scheduled for publication October 14, 2026) to temporarily place 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in Schedule I when either one, or both combined, is above a threshold: more than 1 mg per gram in solid forms or more than 1 mg per milliliter in liquids, or a ratio of mitragynine to those compounds of less than 100. That notice states that the DEA's July 2026 notice of intent to temporarily schedule 7-OH above a threshold (91 FR 40917) is being withdrawn in a separate document. A second DEA notice of intent filed the same day (FR Doc. 2026-20942) proposes a new temporary order that would keep MGM-15 and MGM-16 in Schedule I "without change," to distinguish them from mitragynine pseudoindoxyl. Neither notice is an order, and the DEA says neither new temporary order will be issued before 30 days after publication, about November 13, 2026. The August 26, 2026 order stays in effect until it expires or is replaced by the new temporary orders, whichever comes first. The FDA's position is that kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement or a food additive in conventional food, and the FDA has warned consumers not to use kratom because of the risk of serious adverse events. Our kratom laws by state hub covers the federal layer in more detail.

Driving and criminal records

Connecticut's impaired-driving statute, 14-227a(a), provides that "No person shall operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug or both." See our guide to Connecticut DUI laws.

A kratom possession or sale conviction is a criminal record. For whether and when such a record can be erased, see Connecticut expungement laws.

Related

• Kratom laws by state
• Connecticut DUI laws
• Connecticut expungement laws
• Connecticut psilocybin mushroom laws

This article provides general legal information about Connecticut state law as of October 11, 2026. It is not legal advice. Statutory text quoted here is from the General Assembly's current publication of Chapter 420b and, for section 21a-243, its 2026 Supplement, which shows the Public Act 25-101 amendment. Section 21a-279(a)(1) is quoted as amended by Public Act 26-8, effective October 1, 2026. DCP can amend the scheduling regulation, and federal scheduling of 7-OH is pending. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Connecticut or the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.

Last updated: 2026-10-11.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is kratom legal in Connecticut?

No. Since April 2, 2026, RCSA 21a-243-7 has listed Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), including its leaves, stem and any extracts, and 7-hydroxymitragynine in Schedule I. DCP says products containing them are illegal to possess, manufacture, sell or distribute.

Is 7-OH illegal in Connecticut?

Yes. 7-hydroxymitragynine is a separate Schedule I entry in RCSA 21a-243-7, alongside the kratom plant entry. Federally, 7-OH is not scheduled; a DEA notice of intent to schedule it above a threshold is pending.

When did Connecticut ban kratom?

The amended Schedule I regulation took effect April 2, 2026, according to the Secretary of the State's confirmation. DCP's March 23, 2026 release described the change as effective March 25, 2026. Public Act 25-101, approved June 24, 2025, had ordered the scheduling.

What is the penalty for kratom possession in Connecticut?

Possessing any quantity of a non-cannabis controlled substance is a class A misdemeanor under 21a-279(a)(1), punishable by up to 1 year (53a-36) and a fine of up to $2,000 (53a-42). A second offense brings a court evaluation for drug dependence.

What is the penalty for selling kratom in Connecticut?

Under 21a-277, a first offense carries up to 7 years and $25,000 if kratom falls in subsection (b), or up to 15 years and $50,000 if it counts as a narcotic or hallucinogenic substance under subsection (a), where 21a-278(b) can add a 5-year mandatory minimum. The statutes do not say which tier applies.

Is there an age limit for kratom in Connecticut?

No. Connecticut has no kratom age limit or retail licensing law because kratom is in Schedule I and cannot lawfully be sold to anyone.

Does Connecticut follow federal kratom scheduling?

Section 21a-243(h) makes a drug newly designated under the federal Controlled Substances Act controlled in Connecticut in the same schedule from the federal effective date. Kratom and 7-OH are already in Connecticut Schedule I, so a federal order on them would not lower their state status. On the text of 21a-243(h), the three compounds in the DEA's August 26, 2026 temporary order (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16) would be controlled in Connecticut Schedule I from that date; DCP has issued nothing listing them, and no Connecticut court has addressed the point.