Kratom, Driving and Heavy Machinery: A Safety Guide for Adults

Important safety and legal
note

This guide is educational. It does not determine whether a person is
impaired, fit for duty or legally permitted to drive. It is not a
substitute for a healthcare professional, employer policy, union
agreement, licensing rule or advice from a qualified attorney.

Do not drive, operate heavy equipment, work at height, handle
weapons, supervise hazardous processes or perform another
safety-sensitive task if you feel sedated, dizzy, confused, unusually
stimulated, uncoordinated, nauseated, visually disturbed, sleep deprived
or otherwise different from your normal baseline.

Call 911 if someone is difficult to wake, has
abnormal breathing, collapses, has a seizure, has blue or gray lips or
appears to be in immediate danger. For a suspected poisoning or
unexpected reaction in the United States, call Poison Help at
1-800-222-1222.

Kiody serves adults age 21 and older. Kiody does not sell
concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products. Nothing in this guide
is a claim that kratom is FDA-approved or safe for driving.

The short answer

Do not drive after using a product if it may be affecting your
attention, judgment, reaction time, coordination, vision, alertness or
behavior.

There is no scientifically established, universally safe waiting
period after using “kratom.” There is also no simple serving number,
capsule count, alkaloid percentage or home test that proves a person is
fit to drive. Product composition varies, labels may be incomplete,
people respond differently and other substances can change the
effect.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that
driving while impaired by any potentially impairing substance—legal or
illegal, prescription or over the counter—is unlawful in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia. A product’s retail availability does not
authorize impaired driving.

The responsible approach is to plan transportation before use, avoid
combining substances, treat any unfamiliar product as unpredictable and
stay out of the driver’s seat when there is uncertainty. “I feel mostly
fine” is not a reliable measurement of driving performance.

Why this question is
harder than it sounds

“Can you drive on kratom?” appears to be a yes-or-no question. In
practice, it contains several separate questions:

• What substance is actually in the package?
• Is it ordinary botanical leaf, an extract, enhanced leaf,
  concentrated 7-OH or a manufactured derivative?
• How much of each relevant constituent was consumed?
• Were alcohol, cannabis, prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines or
  other substances also used?
• Is the person sleepy, restless, dizzy, nauseated, distracted or
  unusually confident?
• What do state law, the driver’s license rules and the employer’s
  policy require?
• Does the task involve passengers, commercial driving, machinery,
  heights, electricity, firearms or another heightened risk?

A useful safety decision must consider all of these dimensions. A
website cannot examine a person or recreate the conditions on the
road.

Impairment
is different from legality, detection and approval

Four concepts are commonly mixed together.

Product legality

State and local governments may prohibit kratom generally or regulate
particular products, concentrations, ages and sales channels. Federal
rules can separately apply to particular compounds. Legal status can
change and must be checked for the relevant jurisdiction and date.

Driving impairment

Impairment concerns the ability to perform the driving task safely.
NHTSA explains that drugs can affect coordination, judgment and reaction
time and that an impaired person may not accurately assess their own
impairment.

Drug-test detection

A drug test answers only the analyte question that its method was
designed to answer. It may identify a substance or metabolite within a
defined specimen and reporting system. It does not directly measure
real-time driving ability, and a negative result on a limited panel does
not certify fitness for duty.

FDA approval

FDA states that no prescription or over-the-counter drug containing
kratom or its known alkaloids is legally on the U.S. market. A product
label, laboratory report, retailer registration or availability at a
store does not equal FDA approval.

Someone can therefore face a safety problem even when a standard test
does not include the substance. Conversely, the presence of a drug or
metabolite does not automatically quantify the degree of impairment at a
particular moment. The legal analysis depends on the applicable law and
evidence, not a slogan.

Product category
changes the uncertainty

The word “kratom” can refer to products with substantially different
compositions. The outer form is not enough: capsules, tablets, liquids
and powders can contain different ingredients.

Botanical leaf and powder

Ordinary botanical products include dried leaf, powder, traditionally
brewed leaf tea and capsules filled only with powdered leaf. Botanical
material naturally varies by lot. A pure-leaf capsule is not
automatically an extract.

Kiody capsules contain approximately 500 milligrams of pure botanical
leaf per capsule. That describes the approximate fill mass, not a
promise of identical alkaloid content across every leaf lot and not an
authorization to drive after use.

Extracts

An extract concentrates selected constituents from botanical
material. Labels may use ratios, percentages, milligrams per serving or
standardized content. Those expressions are not interchangeable. A “10x”
label does not, by itself, establish a known driving-risk window or a
reliable equivalence to grams of leaf.

Enhanced leaf

Enhanced leaf is botanical material to which an extract, isolated
constituent or other concentrated material has been added. It can
resemble plain powder while having a different composition. Color or
strain-style marketing does not prove that a product is unenhanced.

Concentrated or enhanced
7-OH

FDA describes 7-OH products such as tablets, gummies, drink mixes and
shots as novel potent opioid products and distinguishes them from the
trace 7-OH naturally present in leaf. FDA’s consumer warning applies to
added or enhanced 7-OH and recommends avoiding these products.

Concentrated 7-OH should never be treated as interchangeable with
botanical leaf for driving or workplace decisions. Kiody does not sell
concentrated 7-OH.

Manufactured derivatives

Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15 and MGM-16 are distinct
compounds, not alternative names for ordinary leaf. As of September 3,
2026, they are temporarily placed in federal Schedule I. DOJ has
described narrow enforcement discretion for only incidental trace MGPI
confirmed in a product otherwise consistent with botanical kratom. That
statement does not create a legal exemption, provide a numerical safe
harbor or cover MGM-15, MGM-16 or intentionally added, manufactured,
concentrated or fortified MGPI.

No person should use a legal-status nuance as evidence of fitness to
drive.

Effects that are
incompatible with driving

FDA says kratom compounds may produce sedation, nausea or vomiting,
constipation, physical dependence and withdrawal, and respiratory
depression under some conditions. FDA also reports serious harms
associated with concentrated 7-OH products, including anxiety,
depression, gastrointestinal distress, insomnia and seizures.

Do not drive or perform safety-sensitive work if you notice any of
the following:

• Sleepiness, heavy eyelids or difficulty staying awake
• Dizziness, faintness or feeling off balance
• Slowed thinking or delayed reactions
• Confusion or difficulty following a sequence
• Blurred vision, visual changes or trouble focusing
• Poor coordination, stumbling or clumsy movements
• Nausea, vomiting or urgent gastrointestinal symptoms
• Unusual agitation, restlessness or impulsivity
• Racing thoughts or inability to concentrate
• Marked anxiety, panic or a sudden mood change
• Tremor, weakness or body aches that distract from the task
• Insomnia or significant sleep loss
• Feeling detached, unreal or unlike your normal self
• Taking more than intended or being unsure what was consumed
• Any concerning effect after a new brand, lot, format or
  formulation

This list is not a roadside test or medical diagnosis. A person can
also be impaired without recognizing a dramatic symptom. NHTSA cautions
that impaired drivers cannot accurately assess their own impairment.

Why there is no
universal waiting time

Web searches often produce statements such as “wait four hours,”
“wait until the effects wear off” or “one serving is safe.” These claims
create false precision.

Product composition is
not standardized

One package may contain botanical leaf, another a standardized
extract and another enhanced 7-OH. Even products sharing a format or
marketing name can have different alkaloid content.

Label units can be
misunderstood

Milligrams of powder are not milligrams of mitragynine. Percentage by
product weight is not the same as percentage of total alkaloids. An
extract ratio does not disclose recovery or final concentration.

Individual response varies

Body size alone cannot predict effect. Health conditions, tolerance,
sleep, food, hydration, medications and previous exposure can alter how
a person feels and functions.

Multiple substances
change the picture

NHTSA warns that using two or more drugs at the same time, including
alcohol, can amplify impairing effects. Alcohol, cannabis, opioids,
benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines, sleep aids and other medicines
may contribute to drowsiness, slowed reactions or poor judgment.

Perceived recovery
is not a performance test

Feeling less affected does not prove normal divided attention, hazard
perception or reaction time. Coffee, cold air, exercise and a shower do
not certify sobriety.

Because these uncertainties cannot be converted into one defensible
clock, Kiody should not publish a universal waiting period. Plan for a
sober ride and postpone safety-sensitive work whenever effects or
uncertainty remain.

Mixing creates additional
risk

CDC analyzed 14,449 kratom-related poison-center reports from 2015
through 2025. Reports involving multiple substances had higher
proportions of hospitalization and serious outcomes than
single-substance reports. Among 233 associated deaths, 184 involved
multiple substances.

These poison-center data do not prove that kratom caused every event,
do not measure the incidence of harm among all users and do not provide
a driving-risk percentage. They do show why a complete account of
co-exposures matters.

Particular caution is warranted when a person has also used:

• Alcohol
• Opioids
• Benzodiazepines or other sedatives
• Sleep medicines
• Sedating antihistamines
• Cannabis
• Stimulants or high-caffeine products
• Antidepressants or other psychiatric medicines
• Muscle relaxants
• Several supplements or unknown products

Do not assume that one substance “cancels out” another. A stimulant
can make a person feel more awake without restoring judgment or
coordination, while combinations can produce unpredictable effects.

Driving
laws do not require a product to be illegal

NHTSA’s national guidance is direct: driving impaired by any
substance, whether legal or illegal, is against the law in all 50 states
and the District of Columbia.

That means statements such as these are unsafe:

• “Kratom is legal here, so I can drive.”
• “It is natural, so DUI laws do not apply.”
• “My state has no kratom ban, so there is no driving risk.”
• “It is not on a basic test panel, so police cannot act.”
• “I have used it before, so tolerance makes me legal.”

Drug-impaired-driving statutes and enforcement details differ by
jurisdiction. Some focus on impairment, incapacity, unsafe operation or
a drug’s influence rather than naming every possible substance.
Commercial licenses, probation conditions, court orders and professional
licenses may impose separate obligations.

This page should not attempt a nationwide state-by-state DUI
interpretation. Readers should consult current state statutes or
qualified legal counsel for an individual case.

A standard drug
panel is not a safety clearance

Federal Department of Transportation urine testing under 49 CFR Part
40 covers marijuana metabolites, cocaine metabolites, amphetamines,
specified opioids and phencyclidine. Kratom alkaloids are not listed as
a separate category in that five-panel rule.

That narrow fact is frequently overextended. It does
not mean:

• Kratom cannot be detected by a targeted method.
• Every private employer uses only the DOT panel.
• An employer cannot enforce a fit-for-duty or impairment policy.
• A negative test proves that a person was unimpaired.
• A person may use a prohibited or impairing product in a
  safety-sensitive role.
• State law, a professional board or a collective bargaining agreement
  cannot impose additional requirements.

Testing policies can differ between DOT-regulated, non-DOT, private,
public, union and licensed-professional workplaces. Employees should
obtain the current written policy from the employer rather than rely on
a seller or online forum.

Safety-sensitive
work extends beyond driving

The same decision principles apply when a mistake could seriously
injure someone. Examples include:

• Operating forklifts, cranes, loaders or manufacturing equipment
• Commercial driving or transporting passengers
• Working on roofs, ladders, scaffolds or elevated platforms
• Using saws, grinders, welders or powered cutting equipment
• Working with electricity, pressurized systems or hazardous
  chemicals
• Providing direct patient care or administering medication
• Supervising children or vulnerable adults
• Carrying or using firearms
• Performing emergency response or public-safety duties
• Controlling a production process where an error could contaminate a
  batch

An office job is not automatically risk free. Confusion, nausea,
agitation or sleepiness can still affect decisions, privacy, customer
interactions and travel home.

OSHA has supported comprehensive workplace programs for
safety-sensitive environments such as machinery operation while also
recognizing employee privacy and anti-retaliation protections. Employer
testing and discipline must follow applicable law and policy. The
employee’s immediate duty is to avoid performing hazardous work while
impaired and to use the workplace’s reporting process.

Before driving: a
12-step safety decision

This process does not certify fitness. A single concern is enough to
choose a sober ride.

1. Identify the product

Read the full ingredient list, serving panel and alkaloid statement.
Confirm whether it is botanical leaf, pure-leaf capsules, an extract,
enhanced leaf, concentrated 7-OH or an uncertain formulation.

2. Confirm the lot

Record the lot or batch number. If a certificate of analysis is
available, make sure it matches the package. A generic COA does not
establish the composition of the current lot.

3. Consider whether it is new

A new product, lot, serving format or supplier adds uncertainty.
Prior experience with a different product does not predict the new
one.

4. Record what was consumed

Use the label and an actual mass or unit count where available. “A
scoop,” “a little” and “one shot” are not precise descriptions.

5. List all other substances

Include alcohol, cannabis, prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines,
nicotine, caffeine, supplements and any other product used recently.

6. Check sleep and health

Sleep loss, illness, dehydration, pain, anxiety and withdrawal
symptoms can impair driving independently or combine with a product’s
effects.

7. Look for any change from
baseline

Sleepiness, dizziness, agitation, nausea, blurred vision, slowed
thinking or unusual confidence means do not drive.

8. Consider the task

Passengers, children, bad weather, nighttime driving, unfamiliar
roads, commercial vehicles, heavy machinery and long shifts increase the
consequences of an error.

9. Do not rely on
self-testing tricks

Walking a straight line at home, drinking coffee, checking pupil size
or using a phone reaction game does not provide legal or medical
clearance.

10.
Choose transportation before uncertainty becomes urgent

Arrange a sober driver, taxi, rideshare, public transportation or an
overnight stay. Do not wait until it is time to leave to begin
planning.

11. Follow the stricter rule

If the law, employer policy, professional rule or personal safety
plan is more restrictive, follow it. Retail legality does not override
those rules.

12. Reassess the next
responsibility

Avoid driving to work only to begin operating equipment while
affected. The safety plan must cover the entire period of transportation
and duty.

A workplace conversation
checklist

An employee does not need to diagnose themselves to raise a safety
concern. Depending on policy and circumstance, useful questions may
include:

• Is this position formally safety sensitive?
• What written fit-for-duty standard applies?
• Is the testing program DOT-regulated, non-DOT or both?
• What substances and specimen types does the applicable panel
  cover?
• Is there a confidential process for medication or substance
  questions?
• Who receives medical information: a medical review officer,
  occupational clinician or supervisor?
• What is the procedure if an employee believes they are not safe to
  perform a task?
• What transportation options exist if a worker is removed from
  duty?
• What post-incident policy applies?
• What employee-assistance or leave resources are available?

Do not ask a seller to interpret an employer’s policy. Keep copies of
the policy and any written guidance supplied by the employer.

If an
unexpected reaction happens while traveling

Pull over safely

If symptoms begin while driving, move out of traffic as soon as it
can be done safely, stop the vehicle and do not continue. Use hazard
lights as appropriate. Call emergency services if there is an immediate
medical danger.

Do not “push through”

Opening a window, turning up music or consuming caffeine does not
restore proven fitness. Arrange another driver or transportation.

Do not leave an
impaired person alone in danger

An unresponsive person, someone with abnormal breathing or a person
having a seizure needs 911. Follow dispatcher instructions while help is
on the way.

Preserve product information

Keep the package, lot number, receipt and remaining product.
Photograph the label. Poison specialists and clinicians may need to know
whether the product was leaf, extract, enhanced 7-OH or unknown.

Report a suspected product
problem

Unexpected effects, inaccurate labeling or a quality concern may be
reported to FDA MedWatch. A report does not by itself prove causation,
but complete product and lot details can support investigation.

Five fictional examples

These examples are educational composites, not legal conclusions or
medical predictions.

Example 1:
Plain-leaf capsules before a commute

An adult takes capsules labeled as pure leaf and feels slightly
lightheaded before leaving. The capsules are not an extract, but product
category does not override the symptom. The adult arranges a ride and
does not drive. Waiting for a dramatic symptom would not be a sound
safety standard.

Example 2: A tablet
marketed as “kratom”

An adult assumes a tablet is equivalent to a familiar leaf powder.
The label lists a large amount of 7-OH per tablet. That is a materially
different product category. The adult should not use prior leaf
experience to predict driving performance. Kiody does not sell
concentrated 7-OH products.

Example 3: A negative
employment panel

An employee reads that the DOT five-panel rule does not separately
list kratom alkaloids and concludes that use cannot affect employment.
That conclusion is unsupported. The employer may have fit-for-duty
rules, a different non-DOT panel or a policy covering any impairing
substance. Test scope and fitness are separate questions.

Example 4: Alcohol and an
extract

An adult combines an extract with alcohol and later feels awake after
coffee. NHTSA warns that multiple substances can amplify impairment, and
feeling awake does not prove normal coordination or judgment. The adult
uses alternate transportation.

Example 5: Forklift
work after poor sleep

An employee reports no obvious product effect but slept only three
hours and feels distracted and nauseated. Sleep deprivation and symptoms
create a safety concern regardless of whether one cause can be isolated.
The employee follows the employer’s fit-for-duty reporting process
rather than operating equipment.

Twenty warning signs in
online advice

Be cautious when a page, post, video or seller:

1. Gives one guaranteed safe waiting time.
2. Claims a certain number of capsules is safe for everyone.
3. Treats botanical leaf and concentrated 7-OH as equivalent.
4. Says legal retail sale makes impaired driving lawful.
5. Claims “natural” means non-impairing.
6. Uses a standard negative drug test as proof of fitness.
7. Says tolerance eliminates impairment.
8. Recommends coffee or a shower as a sobriety test.
9. Treats a teaspoon as a precise dose.
10. Uses an extract ratio as a driving-clearance calculation.
11. Ignores alcohol, cannabis and prescribed medicines.
12. Encourages someone to drive because they “feel fine.”
13. Omits sleep deprivation and illness.
14. Claims a COA predicts an individual response.
15. Gives legal advice without identifying a jurisdiction and date.
16. Says police require a positive basic panel in every case.
17. Discourages an employee from reading the actual workplace
    policy.
18. Omits emergency symptoms and Poison Help.
19. Makes an FDA-approval claim based on registration or testing.
20. Sells a supposedly “driving-safe” kratom formulation.

Driving and
fit-for-duty record template

This worksheet supports documentation and a professional discussion.
Completing it does not certify a person as safe to drive.

Product

1. Product name
2. Brand or distributor
3. Product format
4. Full ingredient statement
5. Leaf, extract, enhanced, 7-OH or uncertain category
6. Serving size
7. Amount consumed
8. Measurement method
9. Labeled mitragynine content
10. Labeled 7-OH content
11. Extract ratio or standardization claim
12. Lot or batch number
13. Best-by or expiration date
14. COA location
15. COA lot match
16. Purchase date and source
17. New product or familiar product
18. Package damage or tampering concern

Timing and effects

19. Date and time consumed
20. Time symptoms began
21. Sleep during prior 24 hours
22. Food and fluid context
23. Sleepiness
24. Dizziness
25. Nausea or vomiting
26. Vision changes
27. Coordination changes
28. Slowed thinking
29. Agitation or restlessness
30. Anxiety or mood change
31. Breathing concern
32. Other symptoms
33. Symptom trend

Other substances

34. Alcohol
35. Cannabis
36. Opioids
37. Benzodiazepines or sedatives
38. Sleep medicine
39. Antihistamines
40. Stimulants or caffeine
41. Prescription medicines
42. Other supplements
43. Unknown exposures

Task and policy

44. Planned driving distance
45. Passengers or vulnerable persons
46. Weather and road conditions
47. Commercial or personal vehicle
48. Safety-sensitive job function
49. Machinery or height exposure
50. Employer policy reviewed
51. DOT or non-DOT program
52. Alternate transportation plan
53. Supervisor or safety contact
54. Poison Help or clinician contacted
55. Advice received
56. Incident or adverse-event report number

Frequently asked questions

Can you legally drive
after taking kratom?

No website can give an individual legal clearance. NHTSA states that
driving while impaired by any potentially impairing substance is
unlawful nationwide. State statutes and evidence requirements vary. Do
not drive if affected or uncertain.

Is there a safe number
of hours to wait?

No universal evidence-based waiting period covers every product,
amount, person and combination. A fixed online timeline can create false
confidence.

Is plain leaf
safer for driving than an extract?

The categories are compositionally different, but neither category
provides driving clearance. Extracts can concentrate constituents, while
botanical leaf also varies. Any noticeable effect or uncertainty means
do not drive.

Are Kiody capsules extracts?

No. Kiody capsules are approximately 500 milligrams of pure botanical
leaf per capsule. They are not extract capsules. That product
description is not a claim of driving safety.

What if I have
used the same amount many times?

Past experience cannot guarantee current performance. Lot variation,
sleep, illness, food, medications and other substances can change the
situation.

Does tolerance make
someone safe to drive?

No. Tolerance is not a validated driving test and does not prove
normal judgment, reaction time or coordination.

Does coffee make driving
safe again?

Coffee may change perceived alertness but does not certify restored
coordination, judgment or reaction time. Use alternate
transportation.

Can a home
reaction-time test prove fitness?

No. A phone game, balance check or other home exercise is not a
validated medical or legal clearance for driving.

What if the product is
legal in my state?

Retail legality and impaired driving are separate. NHTSA states that
impairment by legal as well as illegal substances can make driving
unlawful.

Does a standard
DOT drug test include kratom?

The DOT five-panel rule lists marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines,
specified opioids and PCP. It does not separately list kratom alkaloids.
That does not establish safety, permission or nondetectability by other
tests.

Can an employer test for
kratom anyway?

Testing policies and panels vary. Non-DOT employers may use different
lawful programs, and employers may have separate impairment or
fit-for-duty rules. Review the current written policy.

Does a negative
test prove I was not impaired?

No. A test reports within its analyte, specimen, timing and cutoff
limitations. Fitness for duty and real-time impairment are different
questions.

Does a
positive result prove the exact degree of impairment?

Not necessarily. Presence, concentration and impairment are distinct
issues whose interpretation depends on the substance, specimen, timing,
method and applicable law.

Can I drive if the
label has no warning?

A missing warning is not proof that driving is safe. Product labels
can be incomplete, and individual response varies.

Why are
concentrated 7-OH products treated separately?

FDA describes them as novel potent opioid products and distinguishes
added or enhanced 7-OH from trace amounts in natural leaf. Kiody does
not sell concentrated 7-OH.

What if
someone feels sleepy while already driving?

Move out of traffic and stop as soon as it can be done safely. Do not
continue. Arrange alternate transportation and call emergency services
for serious symptoms.

When should someone call 911?

Call for inability to wake, abnormal breathing, blue or gray lips,
collapse, seizure, severe confusion or immediate danger.

When should someone call
Poison Help?

Call 1-800-222-1222 for a suspected poisoning, unexpected reaction,
uncertain exposure or product-composition concern. Use 911 for a
life-threatening emergency.

Should a
product package be kept after an incident?

Yes. Retain the package, lot number, receipt and remaining product.
Clinicians, poison specialists, employers and investigators may need
accurate identity information.

Can a COA
prove a product will not impair someone?

No. A COA may report tested constituents or contaminants in a sample.
It cannot predict an individual’s response or certify driving
ability.

Can
a person operate a forklift if they are not driving on a public
road?

Impairment can endanger the operator and coworkers regardless of
where equipment is used. Follow the employer’s safety and fit-for-duty
policy and do not operate equipment while affected.

What
is the federal status of 7-OH as of September 3, 2026?

The federal proceeding to temporarily place 7-OH above a specified
threshold in Schedule I remains proposed, with comments extended through
September 10, 2026. A proposal is not a final scheduling order. State
and local laws may apply independently.

What is
the federal status of MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16?

DEA’s temporary Schedule I order took effect August 26, 2026, and is
scheduled to remain in effect through August 26, 2028 unless extended or
replaced through the applicable process. DOJ’s incidental-trace MGPI
enforcement statement is not a legal exemption.

Does Kiody sell concentrated
7-OH?

No. Kiody serves adults age 21 and older and does not sell
concentrated 7-OH products.

Current federal regulatory
context

As of September 3, 2026:

• The proposed federal Schedule I threshold action for 7-OH remains
  pending, with comments due September 10, 2026.
• MGPI, MGM-15 and MGM-16 are temporarily in federal Schedule I under
  an order effective August 26, 2026.
• DOJ’s enforcement discretion for only incidental trace MGPI in an
  otherwise botanical product does not deschedule MGPI or cover
  intentional manufacture, concentration, fortification, MGM-15 or
  MGM-16.
• FDA states that kratom is not lawfully marketed as a drug, dietary
  supplement or food additive in conventional food.
• State and local product restrictions can be more restrictive and
  change independently.

None of these points creates a safe-driving threshold. Product law
and impairment law must remain separate in Kiody’s content.

Sources and further reading

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
   Drug-Impaired Driving: https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired-driving
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA and Kratom:
   https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-kratom
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Products Containing 7-OH
   Can Cause Serious Harm: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/products-containing-7-oh-can-cause-serious-harm
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Increases in
   Kratom-Related Reports to Poison Centers — National Poison Data System,
   United States, 2015–2025, March 26, 2026: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a1.htm
5. U.S. Department of Transportation, 49 CFR Part 40, §40.82 —
   Drugs Tested in DOT Specimens: https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/part40/40-82
6. U.S. Department of Transportation, Drug and Alcohol Testing
   for Employees: https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/employee
7. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA’s
   Position on Drug-Free Workplaces: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1998-05-02
8. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Clarification
   of OSHA’s Position on Workplace Safety Incentive Programs and
   Post-Incident Drug Testing: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2018-10-11
9. Poison Help, America’s Poison Centers: https://www.poisonhelp.org/
10. FDA, MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting
    Program: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm?action=reporting.home
11. Federal Register, 7-Hydroxymitragynine Above a Specified
    Threshold in Schedule I; Extension of Comment Period, August
    26, 2026: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/26/2026-17409/hydroxymitragynine-above-a-specified-threshold-in-schedule-i-extension-of-comment-period
12. Federal Register, Temporary Placement of Mitragynine
    Pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I, effective
    August 26, 2026: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/26/2026-17429/schedules-of-controlled-substances-temporary-placement-of-mitragynine-pseudoindoxyl-mgm-15-and
13. U.S. Department of Justice, Justice Department Announces
    Emergency Scheduling of Three Potent Opioid Compounds, updated
    September 1, 2026: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-emergency-scheduling-three-potent-opioid-compounds