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# North Dakota Bans Synthetic Kratom as Natural Sales Await Rules
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-north-dakota-2026-09-16-a/
- Published: 2026-09-16T19:25:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T19:25:10.000Z
- Description: North Dakota has banned synthetic kratom and established a 21-and-older licensed market for qualifying natural products, but all kratom sales remain prohibited until the state completes administrative rules.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, North Dakota

North Dakota’s new kratom law has taken effect, but consumers should not expect natural kratom products to return to store shelves immediately. [Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s office says all kratom sales remain prohibited](https://www.governor.nd.gov/news/updated-armstrong-signs-bill-banning-synthetic-kratom-restricting-natural-kratom-21-and-older?ref=theamericanquorum.com) until administrative rules are in place under House Bill 1628, which permanently bans synthetic derivatives while creating a licensed, age-restricted market for qualifying natural products.

Armstrong signed the measure Sept. 4 after lawmakers completed a three-day special session. [The Legislative Assembly’s official record says the session ran Sept. 2-4](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/special-2?ref=theamericanquorum.com) and was called specifically to establish a framework governing the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession and labeling of kratom products. The new statute replaces an emergency approach under which all kratom products had been temporarily barred beginning Aug. 5; the governor rescinded that order after signing the legislation.

The law draws a sharp distinction between natural kratom and concentrated or synthetic compounds. It bans the sale, possession and use of synthetic derivatives including concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly called 7-OH, along with MGM-15, MGM-16 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl. Natural products may eventually be sold only to people 21 or older. Retailers will need an annual license from the Attorney General’s Office, and selling without one can bring a Class B misdemeanor.

Packaging and testing rules are central to the framework. Labels must list all ingredients and disclose quantities of mitragynine and 7-OH based on testing by an accredited laboratory approved by the attorney general. Packages may not imitate candy or be marketed in a way that appeals to children. Because agencies still must translate those requirements into administrative rules, businesses cannot lawfully resume sales simply because the bill was signed.

The [enrolled legislation](https://ndlegis.gov/files/resource/69-2025/library/hb1628.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com) assigns the attorney general a central oversight role, including retailer licensing and approval of laboratories used for product testing. That makes rulemaking more than a paperwork step: it will define how sellers demonstrate compliance and which products qualify for the eventual legal market. Until those standards are operational, the state’s continued sales ban prevents an unregulated gap between the emergency order and the new licensing system.

The public-health record behind the legislation was unusually specific. In [testimony supporting the bill](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/testimony/HADHOC-1628-20260901-45585-F-HOWELL%5FMOLLY%5FA.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com), the Department of Health and Human Services reported 24 deaths from 2019 through June 2026 in which mitragynine or related compounds were listed as a primary cause or contributing factor. The department also identified 118 kratom- or 7-OH-related emergency and walk-in visits through Aug. 25, already above the 68 logged in all of 2025\. Officials cautioned that the visit data come from syndromic surveillance and do not establish confirmed exposure or causation in every case.

For retailers, the practical next step is to wait for licensing and product-compliance instructions rather than placing inventory back on sale. For consumers, the current statewide prohibition remains the controlling rule during implementation. The eventual regulated market will be narrower: adults only, verified labeling and no synthetic derivatives. The state has directed people seeking help with kratom dependence to behavioral-health resources and the 988 crisis line.