At first glance, it might look like just another wellness supplement: a colorful gummy, a flavored drink, an energy shot or vape sold at your neighborhood vape shop or gas station.
Hidden in plain sight, however, is a potent and potentially lethal opioid known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, the primary psychoactive extract of the Southeast Asian plant kratom that is now the focus of an escalating federal crackdown.
“Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stated late last month. “7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine. We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.”
A representative for Health and Human Services confirmed to the New York Sun that the department “recommends a Class I scheduling,” which means the federal government is declaring that it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. It would effectively be banned for general sale or use in the same category as heroin or LSD.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), products containing 7-OH have been marketed for too long and have been pitched as natural pain relievers or recreational alternatives, often without any warning about the severe health risks they carry.
Despite being technically legal in most states, 7-OH is many times more potent than morphine, and experts say its widespread availability in novelty products — from candy chews to vaporizer fluids — is a public health crisis in the making.
“The public should know these aren’t just dangerous for kids – they’re dangerous for everyone,” warned Dr. Makary in a recent post on X.
Products containing 7-OH are sold under various brand names such as Opia, Press’d, 7Stax and Hi-Joy, the packaging frequently features bright colors and flavors such as fruit or mint with claims to offer “clean focus,” or as “daily mood and energy support.”
The reach of 7-OH is growing. In Tennessee, local media reported a bizarre incident involving a shoplifter found high on kratom products. In Ohio, health departments are issuing warnings about a “Monster Drug” sold in smoke shops that contains 7-OH.
While various health incidences have been reported stemming from the use of the parent drug, Kratom, the Mayo Health Clinic notes that “nearly all deaths from kratom also involved other drugs.”
What Is 7-OH — and Why Is It So Dangerous?
While Kratom itself has a long history of use in traditional medicine and remains the subject of debate over its potential for both harm and therapeutic benefit, 7-OH is the turbocharged version. This compound binds aggressively to opioid receptors in the brain.
“Kratom is part of a broader category of unapproved psychoactive substances that are often falsely marketed as dietary supplements,” Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Caleb Alexander, tells the Sun. “For something to be considered a dietary supplement, the FDA has to have reasonable assurance that it’s safe. And in this case, there is no such assurance.”
Kratom produces, he said, opioid-like effects by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and body — causing euphoria, reduced anxiety, and pain relief. Yet, there are documented dangers, including addiction, withdrawal symptoms, seizures, and liver injury.
Dr. Alexander further explains that Kratom wasn’t widely known or used in the United States until around 2005, which is when the FDA “started issuing warnings,” but its use has grown a lot since then.”
The FDA warns that consumption can lead to sedation, respiratory depression, addiction, and even death. The risk is especially high when combined with alcohol or other depressants. According to toxicologists, some 7-OH-laced products contain concentrations comparable to prescription opioids, but without any of the controls or oversight.
Unlike traditional opioids that require a prescription and carry strict DEA scheduling, 7-OH has found a loophole: it’s not yet a scheduled substance at the federal level, and little attention has been paid to it until now.
That has allowed entrepreneurs and online vendors to package and distribute the drug as a dietary supplement or herbal remedy — often targeting young people with bright packaging and enticing names.
In a recent effort to crack down, the FDA sent a warning letter to a Kansas City manufacturer accused of illegally marketing 7-OH-laced pills as treatment for pain and opioid withdrawal. Enforcement, however, is patchy, and in many parts of the country, 7-OH is still being sold openly alongside energy drinks and vape cartridges.
“The supply chain is highly fragmented — distributors, wholesalers, and retailers — so it’s hard to regulate. The FDA doesn’t have a way to monitor what’s being sold in every gas station, corner store, or online outlet,” said Dr. Alexander. “Many sellers aren’t registered with the FDA and operate through smoke shops, social media, and mail order. States have stepped in to enact their own restrictions, but it’s inconsistent.”
A Regulatory Gray Zone
The Trump administration, however, has indicated it is prepared to take regulatory action. It isn’t, however, a black-and-white debate. Critics argue that criminalizing the compound without addressing the root causes of addiction will do little to stop its use. Supporters of a ban say inaction would be irresponsible.
Dr. Alexander acknowledged that while Kratom and its potent derivative, 7-OH, are used for “things like pain relief and anxiety, and even opioid withdrawal,” the FDA does not have a sufficient level of evidence to “approve it as a legitimate drug.”
“Morphine also has therapeutic uses, but you wouldn’t want it sold at gas stations,” he said. “The problem is that people with untreated anxiety or chronic pain might turn to kratom when there are safer, better-studied treatments available within the healthcare system.”
Others view the situation differently.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Kratom Research Unit at Johns Hopkins, Kirsten Smith, tells the Sun that there has been much more research done on Kratom than 7-OH itself, which is problematic.
“I do not think there’s sufficient data to recommend scheduling,” she said. “HHS is clearly trying to follow science and act in the interest of public health, but from my perspective, the data isn’t there yet to support scheduling.”
Ms. Smith points out that reported effects of the substance include mood improvement and helping people reduce or stop using alcohol or opioids.
“The public health question is how to weigh potential benefits against risks. Relative to substances like fentanyl, it’s likely less harmful, but we don’t have definitive evidence to prove that,” she continued.
“Most people I’ve talked to don’t want Kratom or 7-OH prohibited. They overwhelmingly support some form of regulation. My concern is that prohibition could push people to the illicit drug supply or toward unregulated research chemicals from overseas.”
What Comes Next?
Part of the challenge lies in the complex regulatory environment. The FDA can warn, seize, and issue advisories — yet it cannot unilaterally ban a substance. That authority falls to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which must go through a lengthy scheduling process.
The drug scheduling process in the United States, as outlined by the Controlled Substances Act, does not have a fixed timeline. It can vary significantly depending on the substance and the circumstances.
The Drug Enforcement Administration referred the Sun to comments made last week by the deputy assistant administrator of the DEA’s Diversion Control Division, who told reporters that his agency’s mission “is to protect the public health and safety — period.”
“That means taking action when dangerous unregulated substances threaten American lives,” he said.
In the meantime, vendors continue to market 7-OH.
“Public awareness is key — just because something is sold at a gas station doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Dr. Alexander added. “Even though the FDA and DEA have enforcement authority, the fragmented supply chain makes that very difficult. There are economic incentives. These products make a lot of money for sellers. Gas stations and vape shops stock them because they sell.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
