Just a heads up Ohio advocates, we are on the agenda for tomorrow.
Please respond in this thread with any updates. I noticed this month we are not listed under “discussion” like the previous months.
The Hill posted this article, please submit your answer at the bottom. It’s under the ads.
We need to show support for our cause!
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6126476-grassley-urges-trump-kratom-rule/
A question for the managers in here.
Do you guys get benefits? Genuinely curious what benefits your franchise offers. And to the ones that do get benefits, how many stores are in your franchise?
Do any guys here take finasteride and kratom together?
I’m unfortunately getting to the age where my hairline is starting to recede. I could always shave it and grow my beard out, but I figure I might as well try to save my hair while I still have it.
I have a dermatologist appointment tomorrow and I’m planning to ask about finasteride. From what I’ve read, finasteride and kratom are both metabolized by some of the same liver enzymes. Has anyone here taken both long-term? Did you notice any issues or did your doctor have any concerns?
Thanks in advance!
I’ve been seeing a lot of misinformation and confusion lately, so I wanted to explain this as simply as possible.
There are TWO separate issues happening in Ohio right now.
**#1 - The Scheduling Rule**
Back in January, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy started the formal rulemaking process to place mitragynine into Schedule I.
This is the process that targets natural kratom leaf itself.
The Board collected public comments, reviewed feedback, and the rule is now moving through Ohio’s administrative review process, soon to be JCARR. (As of today, JCARR does NOT have a meeting to vote to ban kratom. They have a meeting on the 22nd but it is to discuss why the BOP issued a notice to ban capsules, drinks, etc.)
**#2 - The May 19 Enforcement Notice**
In late May, the Board took a different approach and announced that kratom capsules, drinks, extracts, and other products with dosing instructions would be considered illegal.
This was SEPARATE from the January scheduling proposal.
The AKA and several vendors challenged this action in court and obtained a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
**Here’s where the confusion starts.**
The TRO was issued over #2.
The scheduling rule is #1.
There is no TRO against #1. That is still fair game.
These are related, but they are not the same thing.
Because of that, I was seeing people say things like:
“It’s over.”
“Ohio backed down.”
“Kratom is safe now.”
I understand why people want that to be true, but unfortunately it is not. The BOP has their eyes set on banning kratom.
Just remember the TRO does not end the January scheduling proposal.
The TRO does not stop JCARR review.
The TRO does not prevent the Board from continuing the formal rulemaking process.
The TRO simply stops the BOP from enforcing an immediate ban on capsules, drinks, etc. without going through JCARR first.
If the Board successfully advances the scheduling rule through the administrative process, that becomes an entirely different issue than the May 19 enforcement notice that was challenged in court. The TRO will not apply anymore if the Board passes this through JCARR.
That’s why I think it’s important for people to understand the distinction.
The lawsuit was a major development and an important win, but it was not the end of the fight.
As of today, the scheduling proposal is still alive, JCARR review is still ahead, and it’s looking like BOP is getting ready to send it over to them.
I’ve just seen a lot of people get their hopes up because they were told the battle was over when the reality appears to be much more complicated.
We need to be prepared with the facts so we can be ready to fight, not be told it’s over.
The lawsuit was one battle.
The scheduling rule is another.
And as far as I can tell, the second battle is still very much ongoing.
I’ve been seeing a lot of misinformation and confusion lately, so I wanted to explain this as simply as possible.
There are TWO separate issues happening in Ohio right now.
#1 - The Scheduling Rule
Back in January, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy started the formal rulemaking process to place mitragynine into Schedule I.
This is the process that targets natural kratom leaf itself.
The Board collected public comments, reviewed feedback, and the rule is now moving through Ohio’s administrative review process, soon to be JCARR. (As of today, JCARR does NOT have a meeting to vote to ban kratom. They have a meeting on the 22nd but it is to discuss why the BOP issued a notice to ban capsules, drinks, etc.)
#2 - The May 19 Enforcement Notice
In late May, the Board took a different approach and announced that kratom capsules, drinks, extracts, and other products with dosing instructions would be considered illegal.
This was SEPARATE from the January scheduling proposal.
The AKA and several vendors challenged this action in court and obtained a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
Here’s where the confusion starts.
The TRO was issued over #2.
The scheduling rule is #1.
There is no TRO against #1. That is still fair game.
These are related, but they are not the same thing.
Because of that, I was seeing people say things like:
“It’s over.”
“Ohio backed down.”
“Kratom is safe now.”
I understand why people want that to be true, but unfortunately it is not. The BOP has their eyes set on banning kratom.
Just remember the TRO does not end the January scheduling proposal.
The TRO does not stop JCARR review.
The TRO does not prevent the Board from continuing the formal rulemaking process.
The TRO simply stops the BOP from enforcing an immediate ban on capsules, drinks, etc. without going through JCARR first.
If the Board successfully advances the scheduling rule through the administrative process, that becomes an entirely different issue than the May 19 enforcement notice that was challenged in court. The TRO will not apply anymore if the Board passes this through JCARR.
That’s why I think it’s important for people to understand the distinction.
The lawsuit was a major development and an important win, but it was not the end of the fight.
As of today, the scheduling proposal is still alive, JCARR review is still ahead, and it’s looking like BOP is getting ready to send it over to them.
I’ve just seen a lot of people get their hopes up because they were told the battle was over when the reality appears to be much more complicated.
We need to be prepared with the facts so we can be ready to fight, not be told it’s over.
The lawsuit was one battle.
The scheduling rule is another.
And as far as I can tell, the second battle is still very much ongoing.
Heads up, Ohio Kratom Warriors.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a meeting Monday, and kratom is on the agenda.
The agenda is vague, so it’s hard to know exactly what will be discussed. It could be an update on the TRO, a discussion about next steps, or potentially a return to formal rulemaking.
The good news: there is no listed vote to ban or schedule kratom on Monday’s agenda.
For now, this looks more like a discussion item than immediate action. We’ll know more after the meeting. Just wanted to keep everyone informed.
https://www.pharmacy.ohio.gov/documents/boardmeeting/june%202026%20-%20board%20meeting%20agenda.pdf
A lot of people are celebrating this Ohio Board of Pharmacy update like it’s some huge win for natural leaf kratom. I get why people are relieved, because at first glance it looks like they backed off. But if you actually read into what they’re doing and think about how the real kratom market operates, I honestly don’t see this as a step in the right direction at all.
This was not Ohio suddenly accepting kratom. This was an extension/clarification of the related compounds rule. The Board is still very clearly going after kratom overall, they just narrowed the immediate focus toward MIT extracts, enhanced products, capsules, and anything they can argue falls under compounded alkaloids or “related compounds.”
What people are missing is that Ohio is also basically saying kratom cannot be marketed for consumption in any meaningful way. That includes dosage guidance, serving suggestions, alkaloid content, MIT percentages, etc because that supposedly implies intended consumption. Sounds minor on paper, but in the actual kratom world almost every trusted vendor does this for transparency and consumer safety.
So now the state is creating a situation where companies are incentivized to REMOVE information from packaging just to protect themselves legally. That is the opposite direction things should be going. Consumers should know alkaloid content and what they are taking, not less.
And the possession side of this is where things get really ridiculous. The average person is never going to understand how powdered leaf in one form is “fine,” but the same exact plant material in capsules, enhanced blends, or with certain wording on the bag could potentially be treated as Schedule I possession under Ohio’s interpretation. That is a disaster waiting to happen and creates confusion for consumers, retailers, law enforcement, and probably even prosecutors themselves.
Kava/kratom bars will also getting crushed by this. A lot of these businesses are openly selling products Ohio is now interpreting as Schedule I substances. Whether people agree with that or not, it absolutely creates fear and instability around the entire industry.
To me this does not look like Ohio softening its stance on kratom. It looks like regulators realizing they may not get the broad leaf ban they originally wanted right now, so instead they are trying to choke the industry slowly through technical enforcement and legal gray areas while they wait to see what happens with HB 587 and SB 299. And if those bills die, I fully expect them to pick right back up where they left off earlier this year with formal rulemaking against natural leaf itself.
People can call this pessimistic if they want, but I think it’s more dangerous for advocates to pretend this is some huge victory when the bigger picture still points in the same direction it always has.