Federal Officials Seek Schedule I Status for 7-OH Compound
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have called for the DEA to place 7-hydroxymitragynine under Schedule I restrictions. Kratom industry groups and some consumers oppose the move while others support limits on concentrated products.
WiredThe compound occurs in trace amounts in kratom leaves and appears in higher concentrations in gummies, capsules, and shots sold at gas stations and convenience stores. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described the 7-OH sector as “sinister” at a July press conference.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary joined the call for Schedule I status, citing opioid-like effects and reports of withdrawal and overdose.
Kratom sellers and some users argue that concentrated 7-OH products differ from traditional leaf products and should face separate controls. ” Other kratom advocates and 7-OH sellers maintain that the compound is kratom and that outright prohibition would remove access for people using it to manage pain or reduce opioid use.
A dozen states have already enacted their own 7-OH restrictions.
Trump endorsed “natural 7-OH” in May remarks that appeared to reference kratom. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has also supported restrictions on 7-OH products. Kratom researcher Chris McCurdy at the University of Florida noted that 7-OH lacks the centuries-long human-use record of kratom leaf.
A Johns Hopkins survey last year found that roughly one-quarter of kratom users consume large quantities as an opioid substitute. A National Institutes of Health investigational new drug application for mitragynine, kratom’s primary active compound, took effect June 1 and could allow clinical trials for opioid-use disorder treatment.
