The DEA intends to outlaw the opioid-like kratom compound 7-OH – Drug Enforcement Administration proposes to temporarily restrict 7-OH, a component of rattan that has similar opiate effects and is distributed in gas stations and smoke shops across the country in the form of candies, beverages, and capsules.
The federal government says it will provisionally classify 7-OH as a Schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act, which is the same category as heroin, in a draft notice of intent that will be published in the Federal Register on Monday.
The prohibition would apply to products that go over a particular threshold of 7-OH and would be valid for two years, with the ability to extend it for a third. The DEA alleges 7-OH “presents severe risks to public health, including tolerance, dependence and addiction.”
The action is a big triumph for the mainstream kratom industry, which has been fighting 7-OH with the assistance of government authorities, including President Donald Trump.
Kratom is a Southeast Asian plant that has analgesic and antidepressant benefits when consumed in low dosages. 7-OH is present in trace concentrations in natural kratom. But in the last several years, there has been a rise in the creation and sales of unregulated 7-OH products, which can be far more potent than natural kratom products. The DEA intends to outlaw the opioid-like kratom compound 7-OH
In May, Trump backed “natural 7-OH,” presumably kratom, stating the government was looking into “getting that approved.”
Both Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have close connections to the kratom industry, as WIRED previously documented. Kennedy has been pictured with JW Ross, a convicted felon who founded Botanic Tonics, the company that makes Feel Free, a line of kratom beverages that was the target of a government raid in 2023. At the time, the FDA, which was involved in the search, warned that there was not enough information on whether or not kratom, promoted as a supplement to the diet, presents “a significant or unreasonable risk of illness and injury.” Mullin has invested up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics.
Numerous Feel Free users have reported experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms as a result of using the product. In December, the Department of Justice withdrew its action against Botanic Tonics; some months later, an LLC linked with Feel Free paid $500,000 to the MAHA PAC.
In response to a request for comment, a DHS spokesman told WIRED Mullin “follows all ethics and conflict of interest standards and has not lobbied for any individual or company. Markwayne Mullin campaigned alongside Secretary Kennedy as a senator to regulate 7-OH, a synthetic narcotic sold to children in convenience stores under false pretenses.
7-OH has been nicknamed “gas station heroin” by some because it activates mu-opioid receptors in the brain and consequently has potentially addictive properties. However, when used at greater doses, even kratom products that aren’t promoted as 7-OH might result in comparable problems.
The planned prohibition on 7-OH is being celebrated by proponents of kratom.
Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association, stated in a news release that “this DEA action should end the debate.” “7-OH opioids that have been chemically altered are not kratom. These are hazardous goods that deceived customers, took advantage of the natural kratom leaf’s reputation, and posed a public health risk that responsible regulators can no longer overlook.
The 7-OH industry is resisting, claiming that the prohibition, which would go into force following a 30-day public comment period, has no scientific foundation.
In a message sent via email, Jeff Smith, executive director of Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, a 7-OH advocacy group, said, “Hundreds of thousands of consumers are eager to share how 7-OH has enabled them manage pain, get back to work, care for their families, and reclaim their life.” The DEA intends to outlaw the opioid-like kratom compound 7-OH
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