Topline
The Food and Drug Administration is recommending the government ban 7- hydroxymitragynine (or 7-OH), a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant that the government is calling the “next wave of the opioid epidemic,” in an effort to crack down on what experts call a potentially dangerous substance sold over-the-counter at gas stations and vape shops.
of kratom sold over-the-counter in some gas stations and vape shops.Less
Key Facts
The FDA is recommending the government move 7-OH to Schedule I, alongside other drugs like heroin and cocaine.
7-OH can bind to opioid receptors, and can lead to “respiratory depression, physical dependence, and withdrawal symptoms characteristic of classical opioids, such as morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone,” the FDA said in a report released Tuesday.
The FDA is also concerned about the substance’s wide proliferation and availability of products containing it that could appeal to children, such as “fruit-flavored gummies and ice cream cones.”
Monday’s decision is “not focused on natural kratom leaf products,” although these have also been linked to over 100 deaths in Florida alone, a Tampa Bay Times investigation found.