Health Canada and kratom: frequently asked questions
What Health Canada has said, what it has done, and how kratom can be legal to own yet illegal to sell for consumption.
Health Canada’s position on kratom is short, consistent and widely misquoted. Vendors say kratom is “legal in Canada”; news stories say it is “banned”; neither is quite right. This page answers the questions we are asked most often, using Health Canada’s own advisories and the statutes they rely on. It is general information, not legal advice.
Last reviewed: November 9, 2026. Part of the KratomSource knowledge base.
What has Health Canada actually said?
Every kratom advisory since 2017 uses the same core language: Health Canada has not authorized the sale of any product containing kratom; selling unauthorized health products in Canada is illegal; and kratom “may pose serious health risks”, with nausea, vomiting, seizures, liver toxicity, rapid heartbeat, and potential for abuse and dependence listed. The advisories tell consumers to stop using the named products and say Health Canada works with the Canada Border Services Agency to stop unauthorized products entering the country.
Is kratom a controlled substance in Canada?
No. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are not listed in any schedule of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Possessing kratom is not a criminal offence, and nobody has been prosecuted in Canada for possessing it.
Then how can selling it be illegal?
Through a different statute. Under the Food and Drugs Act and the Natural Health Products Regulations, anything sold to be consumed for a health purpose needs a product licence. No kratom product has one. A seller who markets kratom for consumption is selling an unauthorized health product, and that is what Health Canada enforces against. A seller who markets the same leaf as a botanical with no consumption claims sits outside that framework, which is the grey zone every Canadian vendor operates in and the reason for the “not for human consumption” label.
Has Health Canada approved any kratom product?
No. There is no kratom product with a Natural Product Number (NPN) or Drug Identification Number (DIN). Any site implying Health Canada approval is wrong.
What enforcement has there been?
Six recorded actions, all in 2017 and 2018: two voluntary recalls and four retail seizures, in Edmonton (three), the Brampton area and Milton. All involved products presented for consumption in physical stores. We have found no kratom advisory or seizure notice from 2019 to our last check. Every entry, with its link, is on our enforcement tracker.
Can kratom be imported into Canada for personal use?
There is no personal-use exemption written for kratom. Shipments are assessed at the border case by case, and Health Canada’s stated policy is to work with CBSA to stop unauthorized health products. In practice buyers report both delivered and refused parcels, and a refused parcel is usually returned or destroyed with no charge laid. Orders from Canadian vendors do not cross the border. Our buying guide covers what a detention notice looks like.
Is there an age limit?
Not in law. No federal or provincial statute sets a minimum age for kratom. Vendors apply the provincial age of majority, 18 or 19, as their own policy, and so does this site.
Do the provinces regulate kratom?
No province or territory has legislated on kratom. Provincial consumer-protection law applies to a kratom purchase as it does to any other online sale. Our province pages give the details for each.
Is Health Canada planning to schedule or regulate kratom?
We have found no Canada Gazette notice, consultation or bill proposing to schedule kratom alkaloids, license kratom as a natural health product, or set an age limit. The US federal move against concentrated 7-OH in 2025–2026 has no Canadian counterpart so far. We check monthly and log any change on the tracker.
Does a vendor’s lab testing make its product authorized?
No. Testing is a quality measure the vendor chooses to do; it has no bearing on authorization. It does bear on safety, which is why we weight it; see lab testing explained.
How do I report a problem with a kratom product?
Health Canada accepts consumer side-effect reports and complaints about unauthorized health products through its online reporting forms. For an urgent reaction call 911 or your provincial poison centre (1-844-POISON-X).
Sources
- Health Canada, Recalls and Safety Alerts: kratom advisories RA-63598, RA-63746, RA-63906, RA-65822 and the May 2018 Edmonton advisory.
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19, Schedules I–VI.
- Food and Drugs Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-27; Natural Health Products Regulations, SOR/2003-196.
- Our full analysis: Is kratom legal in Canada?
Frequently asked questions
Is kratom approved by Health Canada?
No. No kratom product has a Natural Product Number or Drug Identification Number, and Health Canada says it has not authorized the sale of any product containing kratom.
Is kratom a controlled substance in Canada?
No. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are not listed in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Why is kratom sold as 'not for human consumption' in Canada?
Because selling it for consumption would make it an unauthorized health product under the Food and Drugs Act. Selling the leaf as a botanical without consumption claims sits outside that framework.
Has Health Canada seized kratom?
Yes, in six recorded actions in 2017–2018: two recalls and four retail seizures in Alberta and Ontario. None recorded since.
Is there a legal age for kratom in Canada?
No statute sets one. Vendors apply the provincial age of majority, 18 or 19.
This article is for information only and is not medical or legal advice. We do not give dosing guidance.