COLUMBUS — The Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Friday approved an emergency rule to designate synthetic kratom as a Schedule I illegal drug.

The action comes one day after Gov. Mike DeWine called on the board to immediately ban all synthetic kratom compounds, citing the opinions of national experts on the issue. The governor also asked the board to schedule natural kratom through the regular rulemaking process, which will allow for hearings and testimony on the issue.

Toledo City Council recently voted to prohibit the sale of synthetic kratom within city limits, but the products remained available for purchase in nearby communities.

In August, Mr. DeWine called for all natural and synthetic kratom compounds to be immediately prohibited but walked back that request after discussing the issue

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