Is Mitragynine legal in Myanmar?
- Legal status
- Mitragynine, the principal alkaloid of kratom, is controlled together with the plant in Myanmar: kratom is prohibited under the 1993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, and the alkaloid shares that status as a constituent of the leaf (no separate alkaloid regime); the drug-specific capital-trafficking tier is left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession or supply of a prohibited narcotic draws imprisonment; arrests and product destruction have been reported.
- If prescribed or medical
- No lawful medical route — kratom and its alkaloids are prohibited with no legal medical framework.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route; there is no legal export or carry framework for kratom.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Myanmar’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →