DEA moves to ban opioid-like kratom compound 7-OH

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is planning to temporarily ban products containing certain synthetic versions of kratom, placing them in the same category as heroin and LSD.

The agency on Wednesday said it plans to classify a psychoactive compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and three related substances as Schedule I, meaning they have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

The ban would apply to all products with .05 percent of 7-OH dry weight, or those with more than 1 milligram of ⁠7-OH. It would be applicable for two years, with the potential to extend it for a third.

DEA also temporarily scheduled three 7-OH-related substances — MP, MGM-15, and MGM-16 — that are found online in products including candies, tablets and liquid shots. DEA said they are often marketed as kratom extracts despite containing synthetic opioid compounds.

MP, MGM-15 and MGM-16 do not occur naturally. MP is a chemical rearrangement product of 7-OH, while MGM-15 and MGM-16 are synthetic derivatives of 7-OH.

The DEA said 7-OH “presents severe risks to public health, including tolerance, dependence and addiction.”

The action was applauded by public health and addiction advocacy groups.

“This is an important and long-overdue step toward addressing the rapid proliferation of highly potent, chemically modified kratom-related products that have outpaced existing regulatory safeguards,” said Shatterproof, a nonprofit group focused on ending addiction.

It is also a win for the multibillion-dollar mainstream kratom industry, which has been fighting against the proliferation of 7-OH with the backing of key Trump administration officials.

“I commend the DEA for taking decisive action to address these addictive and harmful substances,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement

“7-OH, MP, MGM-15, and MGM-16 are dangerous opioids that fuel addiction and put American lives at risk. HHS reviewed the science and recommended this action,” Kennedy said. “The Trump Administration will continue using every available authority to stop these deceptive products, hold bad actors accountable, and protect American families.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers against kratom use and last year formally recommended that 7‑OH be listed as a Schedule I substance due to its opioid-like properties.

Kratom is a tree native to Southeast Asia, and supplements prepared from kratom leaves are readily available. Kratom is often used to self-treat conditions such as pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety and depression, opioid use disorder, and opioid withdrawal.

In low doses, kratom produces a stimulant effect. Higher doses of kratom products can produce sedative effects. Kratom naturally contains trace amounts of 7-OH, but the 7-OH products sold in places like gas stations and vape shops contain a significantly higher concentration.

Regulators have said they are particularly concerned with the growing market of 7-OH products that may be especially appealing to children and teenagers, such as fruit-flavored gummies and ice cream cones.

Even though the DEA has listed kratom as a “drug of concern,” Tuesday’s action did not impact it.

In a statement, the DEA made it clear it was not regulating botanical kratom products.

Instead, the scheduling targets synthesized products and those containing elevated concentrations of 7-OH. DEA said those substances “pose an imminent threat to public safety given their effects are highly unpredictable.”

The FDA has not approved kratom for any medical use, and the agency advises consumers not to use kratom because of the risk of serious adverse events including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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