Kratom and kava are two unrelated plants: kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a Southeast Asian tree in the coffee family, while kava (Piper methysticum) is a South Pacific member of the pepper family. They're regulated differently in the US, and federal health agencies have issued separate warnings for each, including a 2026 CDC report on products that combine them.
21+ only. Neither kratom nor kava is FDA-approved to treat any condition, and kratom is banned in some states and cities; see our state guide. This page is a factual comparison, not medical advice, and it makes no claims about effects. Sources were checked September 28, 2026 unless noted.
Kratom vs kava at a glance
| Kratom | Kava | |
|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mitragyna speciosa, coffee family (NCCIH) | Piper methysticum, pepper family (NCCIH) |
| Native region | Thailand and neighboring countries | South Pacific |
| Part sold | Leaf | Root/rhizome |
| Main compounds studied | Mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine (NIDA) | Kavalactones (CDC MMWR, 2026) |
| Federal status | Not federally controlled; DEA "drug of concern"; concentrated 7-OH targeted by a July 2026 DEA temporary scheduling action | Not a controlled substance that we could find; FDA memo treats it as an unapproved food additive in conventional foods |
| State bans | Banned or blocked from sale in 11 states (September 2026) | No state bans found in our research |
| FDA position | Not lawfully marketed as a drug, supplement or food additive; FDA warns consumers not to use it | 2002 consumer advisory on possible severe liver injury |
| Common forms | Powder, capsules, extracts, shots | Root powder, "instant" kava, extracts, shots, gummies |
The plants
Kratom is "a tree in the coffee family, found in Thailand and neighboring countries," according to the NIH's NCCIH. Its leaves contain alkaloids; the two most studied are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). More in kratom strains explained.
Kava "is native to the South Pacific and is a member of the pepper family," per NCCIH, which adds that "Pacific Islanders have used kava beverages for thousands of years for ceremonial and medicinal purposes." Its active compounds are called kavalactones.
Legal status and regulation
Kratom
- Not a federally controlled substance; the DEA lists it as a "drug of concern" (NIDA).
- The FDA says "kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food" (FDA, checked September 25, 2026).
- In July 2026 the DEA moved to temporarily place concentrated 7-OH above a set threshold in Schedule I (DEA). See what is 7-OH.
- Banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin; Massachusetts added an emergency Schedule I order from August 28, 2026, California's health department says kratom products are illegal to sell, and Kentucky's sales ban starts January 1, 2027. Many other states set 21+ rules (state guide).
Kava
- Kava is sold in the US as a powder and dietary supplement ingredient; the NIH's LiverTox (last updated April 2018) notes it "remains available from nutrition stores and the Internet."
- An FDA scientific memorandum dated August 11, 2020, from its food additive safety office, concluded that kava is "an unapproved food additive when used as an ingredient in conventional foods."
- Abroad, LiverTox reports that Germany banned kava in 2002 and a 2015 court decision reversed the ban, and that several other countries restricted it in the early 2000s.
We found no state that bans kava outright, but we didn't survey every state and local rule. Check locally.
Official safety warnings
We report these as documented by the agencies; we don't add our own health claims.
Kava and the liver.
- On March 25, 2002, the FDA issued a consumer advisory "that kava-containing dietary supplements may be associated with severe liver injury" (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements).
- A November 2002 CDC report, Hepatic Toxicity Possibly Associated With Kava-Containing Products, described US cases and liver transplants in Germany and Switzerland from 1999-2002.
- NCCIH says "various kava products have been linked to rare cases of liver injury, some of which have been serious or even fatal" (NCCIH, updated April 2025). LiverTox rates kava a "well known cause of clinically apparent liver injury" while estimating the frequency at under 1 in 1,000,000 daily doses and noting debate over causality.
- The FDA's 2020 memo said "indiscriminate use of kava either as a 'recreational' or 'relaxation' bev[erage] is not safe for human consumption."
- The World Health Organization published an assessment of kava hepatotoxicity risk in 2007; we couldn't access the full text to summarize it.
Kratom. The FDA warns consumers not to use kratom, citing risks including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.
What official sources say about combining them
We don't advise combining kratom, kava or anything else. Two official sources address it:
- CDC, April 2, 2026. An MMWR report on kava exposures reported to US poison centers found 3,101 kava-related exposures from 2000 to 2025, with reports rising 383% from 2010 to 2025. It says kratom "emerged as a common co-exposure" in 2017 and "by 2019, kratom surpassed ethanol and benzodiazepines," reaching 30% of multi-substance kava exposures by 2025. The authors note that "kava and kava-kratom combination products sold in the United States are unregulated" and call for public health education.
- NCCIH says "kava should not be used together with other substances that have sedative effects, such as benzodiazepines or alcohol" (NCCIH).
If you use either product and take medication, a pharmacist or doctor can check for interactions.
Product forms and who sells kava
Several kratom vendors also sell kava. On September 28, 2026:
- Kats Botanicals lists kava powders (Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon and a blend, $39.99-$84.99), a 30% extract powder, gummies, a tincture and softgels, labeled "for use by individuals 21+ only."
- Kraken Kratom lists kava powder, "instant" kava and extracts, from $4.95.
- Happy Hippo lists kava powders and kava shots, including a "K2" kava + kratom extract shot that was sold out.
KratomRated doesn't review, rank or link to kava or kava-kratom combination products. Our coverage is plain-leaf kratom only (see our method); for vendor comparisons, see best kratom vendors and our kratom vendor list.
Checking quality either way
- Kratom: look for a batch lab report with alkaloid, heavy-metal and microbial results; see how to read a kratom lab report.
- Kava: vendors market "noble" kava and state kavalactone percentages. We haven't evaluated kava testing standards, so we can't rank kava sellers.
Bottom line
Kratom and kava are different plants with different regulators' concerns: for kava, a long-standing liver-injury advisory; for kratom, an FDA warning against use, a growing list of state bans and federal action on concentrated 7-OH. The CDC's 2026 report shows the two are increasingly showing up together in poison center data. None of this is medical advice; if you have questions about either, ask a healthcare professional.