Todd Blanche orders temporary Schedule I classification for three potent synthetic kratom-related opioid compounds
Attorney General Todd Blanche has overseen the temporary classification of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 as Schedule I controlled substances. The Drug Enforcement Administration issued the order to address an imminent hazard to public safety, noting that these concentrated opioid products often contain misleading marketing that equates them to traditional botanical kratom. While the products are sold in consumer-friendly forms like chewable tablets and liquid shots, the Department of Justice clarified that the action applies specifically to manufactured compounds rather than raw kratom leaves. The order will remain in effect for two years. Industry leaders, such as Vince Sanders, expressed concern over the impact on natural kratom products. The American Kratom Association filed a lawsuit seeking to ensure that legitimate botanical kratom businesses are not penalized by the ban on synthetic derivatives. The administration announced that enforcement discretion will be used for products containing only incidental trace amounts of the compounds, though the American Kratom Association noted this was not explicitly stated in the temporary order itself.