Wisconsin's kratom prohibition — the longest-standing

Wisconsin's 2014 kratom prohibition is the longest-standing of the nine current US state kratom bans. The classification of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine as Schedule I substances has remained unchanged for over a decade.

Wisconsin's prohibition predates most of the modern kratom regulatory framework: the 2016 federal DEA scheduling attempt (which was withdrawn after public pressure), the American Kratom Association's GMP Standards Program, the spread of KCPA-style consumer protection legislation in other states, the 2018 Tennessee re-legalization, the FDA's 2025 synthetic 7-OH consumer alert. Wisconsin's framework was established in a very different regulatory environment than the one that exists today.

Re-legalization prospects

Tennessee's 2018 re-legalization establishes the precedent for a state to reverse a kratom prohibition. Wisconsin advocacy continues via the American Kratom Association and consumer groups, but no re-legalization bill has advanced.

The political math is challenging: Wisconsin's prohibition has been in place for over a decade, has not been a high-visibility political issue, and has not been associated with documented harm that advocacy groups can use as a re-legalization argument. The broader regulatory environment, however, has shifted substantially in favor of consumer-protection regulation rather than prohibition.

Practical guidance for Wisconsin residents

Kratom is illegal in Wisconsin. Reputable vendors don't ship to Wisconsin. Crossing state lines from neighboring Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, or Michigan with kratom does not legalize possession in Wisconsin. See our traveling with kratom guide for state-by-state risk discussion.

For broader context

See our national kratom legality map, Tennessee re-legalization precedent, and kratom history for the broader regulatory arc since Wisconsin's 2014 prohibition.