The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary order on August 24, 2026, placing mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The temporary scheduling order is effective until August 26, 2028.

The agency cited fatal overdose data in its determination to restrict the substances. The DEA identified 48 fatal overdoses involving mitragynine pseudoindoxyl.

Additional case data supported the agency's assessment of public health risk. Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl was identified in 56 overdose cases between February 2025 and May 2026. MGM-15 was detected in 17 overdose cases from February through April 2026. There have been 19 reports of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl in the National Forensic Laboratory Information System database across four states.

The administrative process for this temporary scheduling began several months prior to the final order. The DEA Administrator transmitted notice to the Assistant Secretary for Health of the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the intent to place mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I on December 15, 2025. The Assistant Secretary for Health responded to the DEA notice on January 20, 2026. The DEA published a notice of intent to temporarily schedule mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in the Federal Register on July 6, 2026.

Federal health agencies reviewed the proposed scheduling during the interagency consultation period. The Food and Drug Administration found no investigational new drug applications or approved new drug applications for mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16. The Department of Health and Human Services stated it had no objection to the temporary placement of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I.

The scheduling action occurs against a backdrop of increased reporting on kratom-related exposures. Poison centers received 3,434 kratom exposure reports in 2025. This figure represents a substantial increase from historical data, as poison centers received 258 kratom exposure reports in 2015. An estimated 1.9 million people reported past-year kratom use in 2022.

Why It Matters

The temporary placement of these substances into Schedule I imposes the strictest level of control under federal law, indicating a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use. The order remains in effect for two years, providing the DEA with time to pursue permanent scheduling while restricting immediate availability. The lack of objection from the Department of Health and Human Services and the absence of approved medical applications for these compounds facilitated the regulatory action. The rise in poison center reports from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025 shows the expanding scope of kratom-related public health concerns that prompted the review of these specific derivatives.