us Crime

DEA Schedules Three Substances Until 2028

By James Holloway Dallas, TX · CRIME DESK

Published Updated 1 min read

The Drug Enforcement Administration placed mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I effective immediately.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily placing mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The temporary scheduling order is effective until August 26, 2028.

The agency determined that controlling these substances is necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety. The order imposes criminal sanctions on the manufacture, distribution, and possession of these substances nationwide.

The DEA Toxicology Testing Program identified mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in at least 56 overdose cases between February 2025 and May 2026. Forty-eight of the 56 overdose cases involving mitragynine pseudoindoxyl were fatal events.

Preclinical data demonstrate that mitragynine pseudoindoxyl is about 100 times more potent than mitragynine at the mu-opioid receptor. Preclinical studies show MGM-16 is about 240 times more potent than morphine in animal models. The Assistant Secretary for Health of HHS stated there were no investigational new drug applications or approved new drug applications for mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 as of January 20, 2026.

Why It Matters

The scheduling action follows a documented increase in kratom-related reports to poison centers, which rose from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025. United States poison centers received 1,690 exposure calls involving kratom from January to July 2025. An estimated 1.9 million people reported past-year kratom use in 2022.

Timeline

The National Forensic Laboratory Information System database recorded 19 reports of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl as of June 23, 2026. The 19 reports of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl included 15 from Arkansas, 1 from New York, 1 from Ohio, and 2 from Wyoming. The Justice Department published a rule titled "Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of O-Desmethyltramadol in Schedule I" on 2026-08-12. The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily placing mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act on August 24, 2026.

What's New

The Drug Enforcement Administration is a United States federal law enforcement agency.

fact_check Facts

Relevance: primary · Type: action
Confidence100%
The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily placing mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: primary · Type: action
Confidence100%
The temporary scheduling order is effective until August 26, 2028.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: event
Confidence100%
The DEA identified mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in at least 73 overdose cases between February 2025 and May 2026.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: event
Confidence100%
Of the 73 overdose cases involving these substances, 64 were fatal events.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: event
Confidence100%
The DEA Toxicology Testing Program identified mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in at least 56 overdose cases between February 2025 and May 2026.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: event
Confidence100%
48 of the 56 overdose cases involving mitragynine pseudoindoxyl were fatal events.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: event
Confidence100%
The DEA Toxicology Testing Program detected MGM-15 in 17 overdose cases from February through April 2026.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: event
Confidence100%
16 of the 17 overdose cases involving MGM-15 were fatal events.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: action
Confidence100%
The DEA determined that controlling these substances is necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Relevance: supporting · Type: action
Confidence100%
The order imposes criminal sanctions on the manufacture, distribution, and possession of these substances nationwide.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order

menu_book Background & Sources

Context and data added by our newsroom from primary and authoritative sources — not in the original wire report.

United States poison centers received 1,690 exposure calls involving kratom from January to July 2025.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Kratom-related reports to poison centers increased from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Preclinical studies show MGM-16 is about 240 times more potent than morphine in animal models.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
Preclinical data demonstrate that mitragynine pseudoindoxyl is about 100 times more potent than mitragynine at the mu-opioid receptor.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
An estimated 1.9 million people reported past-year kratom use in 2022.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
An estimated 1.7 million people reported past-year kratom use in 2021.
Source: DEA Docket No. DEA-1644 Temporary Scheduling Order
The National Forensic Laboratory Information System database recorded 19 reports of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl as of June 23, 2026.
Source: National Forensic Laboratory Information System database
The 19 reports of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl included 15 from Arkansas, 1 from New York, 1 from Ohio, and 2 from Wyoming.
Source: National Forensic Laboratory Information System database
The Assistant Secretary for Health of HHS stated there were no investigational new drug applications or approved new drug applications for mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 as of January 20, 2026.
Source: HHS Letter to DEA Administrator
Streamlining Research on Controlled Substances Act of 2021 was sponsored by Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]. Latest action: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security..
Source: congress.gov
Justice Department published rule titled "Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of O-Desmethyltramadol in Schedule I" on 2026-08-12.
Source: Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration
Justice Department published proposed rule titled "Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Tianeptine in Schedule I" on 2026-07-08.
Source: Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration

forum Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to comment.