Posted on 07/30/2025 6:35:50 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday recommended classifying 7-OH, a compound with opioid-like effects found in unregulated tablets, gummies and drink mixes sold in gas stations and convenience stores, as an illicit substance.
Such a move by the Justice Department would restrict or prohibit access to the products, which are also currently sold online.
The chemical, formally known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, is often marketed as a way to help people relax, relieve pain or improve their mood or focus. But studies suggest it’s more potent than morphine, and the FDA has warned it could damage the heart or liver and potentially lead to seizures, digestive issues, shallow breathing, withdrawal symptoms or even death.
“We’ve seen a disturbing rise in reports of overdoses, poisonings and emergency room visits linked to products containing 7-OH,” Jim O’Neill, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said at a news conference Tuesday.
He said 7-OH products are often sold without warnings or control over the quality or dosage.
“This is a recipe for public health disaster,” O’Neill said.
7-OH is found naturally in the leaves of a tropical evergreen tree. An herbal extract made from those leaves, known as kratom, is also sold as an unregulated dietary supplement. Kratom products contain trace amounts of 7-OH, whereas products sold under the name “7-OH” contain a synthetic, concentrated version of the chemical, according to the FDA. Sometimes, 7-OH products are misleadingly marketed as kratom.
The FDA’s recommendation Tuesday will trigger a review from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the branch of the Justice Department responsible for classifying drugs as controlled substances. There are five potential classifications, corresponding to varying degrees of regulation. They’re based on a substance’s medical use, public health risks and potential for abuse.
FDA Commissioner Martin Makary said Tuesday that the FDA is recommending that 7-OH be classified as a Schedule I substance, meaning it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Other drugs in that class include heroin, marijuana and ecstasy.
The FDA currently warns people not to use kratom products because of the risk of serious side effects, such as seizures and liver toxicity, and because it may lead to substance use disorder.
The DEA in 2016 said it planned to regulate the active ingredients in kratom, including 7-OH, as Schedule I substances. But the agency dropped the effort after considerable pushback from kratom advocates. Around 1.9 million people ages 12 and up in the U.S. reported using kratom in 2022, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Tom Prevoznik, an assistant administrator at the DEA, said at Tuesday's news conference that the public will again have an opportunity to comment before a final decision is made.
“DEA will do what we’ve always done: follow science, follow the law and do what’s right to keep our community safe,” he said.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recalled the availability of heroin fueling his own addiction decades ago, and expressed concern about the widespread distribution of 7-OH products near schools, military reservations and in low-income neighborhoods in the United States.
He added that 7-OH products are “marketed for children. They’re gummy bears, they’re bright colors, they’re candy flavored. This is really a sinister, sinister industry.”
The FDA issued warning letters in late June to seven companies, which it said were illegally marketing products containing 7-OH. According to the agency, the chemical cannot be lawfully added to conventional foods or dietary supplements because there is not enough information to demonstrate its safety.
Dietary supplements don’t require FDA approval to be sold or purchased, but the agency mandates that companies that manufacture, package, label or store supplements test their ingredients and limit contamination. It’s up to the FDA to test products and determine whether they’re unsafe before the agency can remove them from the market.
Makary said Tuesday that the FDA is focused on 7-OH rather than kratom, noting that the agency’s recommendation distinguishes trace amounts of 7-OH from synthetic, concentrated amounts.
“We are going after the killer first,” he said.
The Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, which advocates using plant-based compounds to address opioid addiction, said the FDA’s recommendation Tuesday disregards how 7-OH is used in the real world.
“If 7-OH posed the kind of urgent danger that would justify emergency action, evidence would have been presented. It was not,” Jeff Smith, the group’s national policy director, said in a statement.
Proponents of kratom say it’s useful for pain management and can help people with substance use disorders wean off more dangerous opioids.
The American Kratom Association, which advocates on behalf of kratom users, has said it’s not opposed to the FDA regulating kratom products via labels, age restrictions or limiting the concentration of 7-OH. However, it maintains that kratom does not have a high potential for abuse or warrant classification as a controlled substance.
Opioids at the pump? Meanwhile I can’t even buy a can of spray paint without getting carded.
Nanny state, big government do-gooderism. American adults should be able to buy what we want.
Nice headline, NBC. “Gas-station products.” Way to get kids huffing gasoline.
manager’s special is the best
very pungent
Yeah, tell that to the Texas Lt. Governor
Yeah, doesn’t makes sense.
You know, there’s an interesting comment/question...
Our Texas legislature passed a bill to ban ALL of the Delta 8 and THC-A and other Hemp Act stuff. Gov. Abbot vetoed it because the already loaded up court challenges under the interstate commerce clause. Realistic rationale too — court enjoins this act and then we can’t do anything for YEARS until the case is decided.
Without a federal ban, states end up suing each other over whether stuff can be sold there or not.
The FDA doesn’t have much of a reputation. Someone probably bribed them to do this.
Some states like Minnesota jumped into legalizing THC and marijuana without adequate regulations and now gas stations and convenience stores are selling various THC products of questionable purity and potency without any real idea how consuming these products will affect one’s ability to safely drive a car or operate hazardous equipment. It is ironic that the state has spent millions to keep kids from accessing flavored vaping products yet THC gummies are easily accessible to kids.
Minnesota/Somalia II
Land of KHAT................
grok3:
Yes, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH-MIT), a potent alkaloid found in kratom, has a significant potential for addiction. It acts as a partial agonist at μ-opioid receptors, with a potency estimated to be 13-40 times greater than morphine, contributing to its rewarding and opioid-like effects. Preclinical studies show that rats can acquire self-administration of 7-OH-MIT, indicating reinforcing properties, and high doses (e.g., 3.2 mg/kg) were aversive in intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedures, suggesting complex reward dynamics. Human reports on X describe rapid tolerance, physical dependency, and severe withdrawal symptoms, often worse than those of traditional opioids like oxycodone or heroin, particularly with frequent dosing due to its short half-life (1-4 hours). Chronic use of concentrated 7-OH-MIT products can lead to addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal, with some users reporting a cycle of dependency driven by the need to avoid withdrawal. However, within whole kratom leaf or extracts, 7-OH-MIT may produce milder withdrawal compared to classical opioids, likely due to lower concentrations and the presence of other alkaloids like mitragynine. The FDA has raised concerns about kratom-related substance use disorder, noting cases of cravings and continued use despite adverse effects.[](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7542979/)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7-Hydroxymitragynine)[](https://www.acslab.com/kratom/7-hydroxymitragynine-kratoms-minor-alkaloid)
System: I noticed you cited multiple sources in your response about 7-OH-MIT’s addictive potential. Could you clarify which specific claims are supported by which sources? I want to ensure I understand the evidence behind each point.
System: Let me break down the specific claims in my response about the addictive potential of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH-MIT) and tie them directly to the sources that support each point. I’ll list each claim and indicate which web or X post references provide the evidence.
1. **Claim**: 7-OH-MIT is a potent alkaloid found in kratom, acting as a partial agonist at μ-opioid receptors with a potency 13-40 times greater than morphine, contributing to its rewarding and opioid-like effects.
- **Sources**:
- ****: States that 7-OH-MIT is approximately 13 times more potent than morphine and acts on mu-opioid receptors, supporting its potent opioid-like properties.[](https://www.acslab.com/kratom/7-hydroxymitragynine-kratoms-minor-alkaloid)
- ****: Notes that 7-OH-MIT is considered 13-40 times more potent than morphine at opioid receptors, contributing to rapid-onset analgesia and euphoria.[](https://www.thegreendragoncbd.com/blog/mitragynine-pseudoindoxyl-vs-7-hydroxymitragynine)
- ****: Confirms that 7-OH-MIT is 30-40 times more potent at opioid receptors and produces opioid-like effects such as euphoria and analgesia.[](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/legal-morphine-rise-kratom-and-7-oh-us-2025a1000cco)
2. **Claim**: Preclinical studies show that rats can acquire self-administration of 7-OH-MIT, indicating reinforcing properties.
- **Sources**:
- ****: References a study (Hemby et al., 2019) showing that rats acquire self-administration of 7-OH-MIT, suggesting reinforcing properties and potential abuse liability.[](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7542979/)
- ****: Notes that in a rat model, rats preferred 7-OH-MIT over mitragynine in a dose-dependent manner similar to morphine, indicating reinforcing effects.[](https://pharmacy.uconn.edu/course/kratom/)
3. **Claim**: High doses of 7-OH-MIT (e.g., 3.2 mg/kg) were aversive in intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedures, suggesting complex reward dynamics.
- **Sources**:
- ****: States that a high dose of 7-OH-MIT (3.2 mg/kg) increased brain reward thresholds in the ICSS procedure, indicating aversive effects at high doses.[](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7542979/)
- ****: Reinforces that a high dose of 7-OH-MIT is aversive in the ICSS procedure, contrasting with morphine’s rewarding effects at intermediate doses.[](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871620304002)
4. **Claim**: Human reports on X describe rapid tolerance, physical dependency, and severe withdrawal symptoms, often worse than those of traditional opioids like oxycodone or heroin, particularly with frequent dosing due to its short half-life (1-4 hours).
- **Sources**:
- ****: A user (@TheGoblinnn) describes 7-OH-MIT as having “unbelievable addictive potential,” highlighting rapid dependency.
- ****: Notes that 7-OH-MIT is “way more addictive than percs” with “trash” withdrawal symptoms, comparing it to Dilaudid due to its short half-life.
- ****: Reports that 7-OH-MIT withdrawals feel worse than oxycodone after prolonged use.
- ****: Mentions that 7-OH-MIT is “100% just as addictive” with withdrawals, emphasizing its addictiveness for pain management users.
- ****: States that 7-OH-MIT withdrawals are worse than heroin, with a short half-life (1-4 hours) necessitating frequent redosing.
- ****: Highlights rapid tolerance and physical dependency with 7-OH-MIT, describing a cycle of dependency to avoid withdrawal.
5. **Claim**: Chronic use of concentrated 7-OH-MIT products can lead to addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal, but within whole kratom leaf or extracts, 7-OH-MIT may produce milder withdrawal compared to classical opioids due to lower concentrations and the presence of other alkaloids like mitragynine.
- **Sources**:
- ****: Notes that concentrated chronic use of 7-OH-MIT isolate can cause addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal, but within whole kratom leaves and extracts, it appears to have milder withdrawal symptoms and lower addiction risk compared to classical opioids.[](https://www.acslab.com/kratom/7-hydroxymitragynine-kratoms-minor-alkaloid)
- ****: Discusses kratom-related substance use disorder, with 7-OH-MIT contributing to cravings and withdrawal, but suggests that whole kratom products may have a different profile due to lower 7-OH-MIT concentrations and other alkaloids.[](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/legal-morphine-rise-kratom-and-7-oh-us-2025a1000cco)
- ****: Indicates that 7-OH-MIT has greater abuse potential than mitragynine, with preclinical studies suggesting reinforcing effects, but traditional kratom products (with lower 7-OH-MIT) have a more balanced receptor interaction.[](https://pharmacy.uconn.edu/course/kratom/)
6. **Claim**: The FDA has raised concerns about kratom-related substance use disorder, noting cases of cravings and continued use despite adverse effects.
- **Sources**:
- ****: Reports FDA concerns about kratom-related substance use disorder, including cases of cravings, prolonged use, and withdrawal symptoms, particularly linked to 7-OH-MIT’s high potency.[](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/legal-morphine-rise-kratom-and-7-oh-us-2025a1000cco)
These sources collectively provide a robust foundation for the claims made. The web sources offer scientific and regulatory perspectives, while the X posts reflect real-world user experiences, though they are anecdotal and treated as inconclusive. Let me know if you’d like further clarification or details on any specific point or source!
If the FDA wants to ban it, it probably cures something they don’t want cured.
I think RFKjr is opposed to it. I really like what he’s accomplishing...........
Unless this is some miracle drug I can’t imagine why people would put it in their mouth.
Release the Kratom!
people from the middle east and east Africa bring in Krat all the time into the US
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.