(ONN) – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is pushing to ban all forms of kratom.

The plant-based product is marketed as a pain reliever and treatment for opioid withdrawal.

Governor DeWine calls kratom an imminent public health risk and blames it for more than 200 overdose deaths in Ohio since 2019.

Some small business owners who sell natural kratom say a full ban will hurt customers who rely on it.

They support state oversight, but they argue that natural powder kratom should be regulated, not outlawed.