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Published on July 26, 2026

LKPD Communications Manager

Kratom and 7-OH, once sold in convenience stores and smoke shops everywhere, are now illegal in Lawrence.

Maybe you’ve never heard of Kratom, but it’s been around for decades.  About 10 years ago, it started gaining attention online with marketing slogans like, “a legal and natural” high.  Soon after, it was widely available.  With its popularity came “improvement” and the substance billed as natural, got stronger. 7-OH hit store shelves in mass within the last few years and experts say it can be up to 13 times more potent than morphine.

What are Kratom and 7-OH?

Kratom is derived from a tree found in Southeast Asia and contains two psychoactive compounds. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.  The latter compound is now known as 7-OH.  The FDA issued an official warning about 7-OH’s health and addictive risks in 2025.

What Lawrence is Doing

Lawrence Kansas Police Chief Rich Lockhart is working with community addiction experts to determine an appropriate enforcement strategy based in support and understanding.

“Our goal is to educate people about the law so they can avoid legal consequences,” says Lockhart.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health experts are reaching out to retail stores and distributing flyers produced by DCCCA to inform the community about what resources are available to help safely stop using Kratom and 7-OH.

Statewide statistics suggest that kratom sent more than 150 Kansans to the hospital last year.

If you need to get off kratom or a derivative, DCCCA can help.

Go to DCCCA’s website,Dccca.org kratom, or call the Statewide Substance Use Treatment Referral Line at 866-645-8216.

“It can really be dangerous to stop taking Kratom products without the help of a healthcare professional or treatment provider, so we want people to have the resources they need to be safe.”

Chrissy Mayer, DCCCA

Kratom Flyer (PDF)(PDF, 101KB)