Kratom is an opioid.
Posted by The Joe Rogan Experience, Checked
- Sources
- 3 contradict3 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 50%
The Joe Rogan ExperienceNov 6, 2026
The sources agree that kratom's alkaloids partially activate opioid receptors and produce opioid-like effects, but they disagree on whether kratom is an opioid. Yale Medicine and a Cleveland Clinic emergency physician say it is not classified as one, while Kolodny and Holstege argue it should be. The claim matches the post's wording, so no extraction departure applies.
What was said
… And I'm like, "Okay, well, I guess i guess for them, maybe, but it seems like it's addictive, at least for some people." It's an opioid, just straight up. It's a straight up opioid. Okay, it's very it's called gas station heroin. It is an opioid, period. It is a legal gray zone, and I don't think many people know about this, but this is a, like, $3 billion industry. No, this is massive, billions of dollars, just in the United States, or that's my understanding. This is rampant right now in America. …
The Joe Rogan Experience · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. Yale Medicine states kratom is not a traditional opioid because it is not derived from the opium poppy, and calls its alkaloids atypical opioids or partial agonists.[5]
Contradicts. A Cleveland Clinic emergency physician writes that despite mu-opioid receptor activity, kratom is not classified as an opioid.[6]
Contradicts. The American Kratom Association Q&A (an industry group document) says kratom is not an opioid by plant genetics, chemical structure, or legal definition. This is an interested party's position, so it carries less weight than the health authorities.[1]
Supports. Multiple sources say kratom has opioid-like effects because its alkaloids (mitragynine and 7-OH) partially activate opioid receptors, and 7-OH is more potent.[2][3][4][5][6]
Context. Kolodny and Holstege argue in a journal editorial that kratom should be classified as an opioid rather than an opioid-like substance. This is a minority expert opinion, not an official classification.[8]
Context. Federal and state health bodies describe kratom as having opioid-like or stimulant-like effects but do not classify it as a specific opioid. The DEA lists it as a drug and chemical of concern, and the DOJ has scheduled some semisynthetic 7-OH derivatives as Schedule I.[2][6][7]
Sources
8 sources: 4 primary, 3 not rated, 1 tier 2
- 1KEY KRATOM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSrilegislature.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts
- 2Kratom - Office of Addiction Services and Supportsoasas.ny.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 3Kratom | Washington State Department of Healthdoh.wa.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Kratom | National Institute on Drug Abusenida.nih.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5Kratom: What Is It and Is It Safe? | Newsyalemedicine.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 6Kratom Confusion: An Emergency Physician's Perspectiveconsultqd.clevelandclinic.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports, context
- 7DEA temporarily makes kratom-related compounds Schedule I substances | CNNcnn.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 8Kratom Is an Opioid, Doctor Arguesmedpagetoday.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- The FDA and DEA set a 0.05% concentration limit for 7-hydroxymitragynine (7OH) in kratom products.Mixed
- The current administration increased the tolerance limit for 7-hydroxymitragynine (7OH) in kratom products by 20 times.Can’t tell
- The kratom industry in the United States is a $3 billion industry.False
- Heidi Overton and other White House officials characterized ibogaine as a street drug.Can’t tell
- President Trump signed an executive order regarding ibogaine and psychedelic use for veterans and people with addictions.True