Client Challenge

Client Challenge

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has used an emergency rule to classify concentrated 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida. Because the substance is not controlled, it is legal to use and carry Kratom in Mexico. Because Kratom contains both of these chemicals, the drug is considered illegal. When it comes to Kratom, however, most European countries have banned this substance. However, Kratom is not listed as a banned substance but is simply unsafe for humans.

Brandon Clarke said it’s ‘just kratom.’ His death has the substance under scrutiny.

Next up, the DEA will review 7-OH and decide whether to officially label it an illicit drug. “7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. Over time, users can build a tolerance and face withdrawal symptoms, such as insomnia, nausea, muscle pain, irritability and even involuntary jerky movements, according to American Addiction Centers. “It can be especially risky when mixed with other substances or used in high doses, like we have seen in the drink ‘Feel Free,’” Volpicelli noted. Several states — including Alabama, Rhode Island and Wisconsin — have banned its sale and possession outright.

US health officials crack down on kratom-related products

Totally legal to buy it up there, totally illegal to possess it in Tennessee. The same illegality, of course, goes for all those Memphians who have beaten a path to the Missouri Bootheel for legal, recreational cannabis. Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. “Bottom line is the product sold by the company Botanic Tonics is really dangerous, and I’m glad that we’re no longer going to be selling the product ‘feel free’ in the state of Utah,” he said. Now that the partial ban is going into effect, McKell said he intends to keep an eye on the issue, hoping for a full ban. “Even if feel free falls within the federal definition of a dietary supplement and does not meet statutory criteria for being deemed to be adulterated, these federal statutes do not require that feel free be sold,” the court wrote in its decision.

Serious health outcomes linked to kratom have also surged. Hospital workers and public health officials say new combinations of street drugs, traumatic brain injuries and other health issues could be driving the uptick in seizures. Kratom and 7-OH may be marketed as herbal supplements, but they function like opioids — shaping how clinicians treat addiction. As kratom and 7-OH use grows, clinicians are developing protocols for addiction treatment Others seek out kratom or its derivatives to help deal with mental health symptoms, or for energy. But in the years since, the popularity of kratom — and its synthetic derivatives — has spread.

Are discounted or clearance kratom products the same quality as full-price kratom?

We do not ship kratom outside of the United States. Pregnant and nursing women as well as anyone under the age of 21 should not use kratom. Users should also consult their physician when taking any medication before using kratom.

• These three buckets capture almost all the kratom-related bills that were under consideration in the 2025–26 state legislative sessions.
• FitzGerald said he hopes that if Boston adds its name to the kratom regulation list, it will help prompt state action.
• If you have been using kratom regularly for a while, do not stop taking it without talking with your health care provider.
• In recent months, the FDA has also issued warnings on other unapproved drugs sold as supplements or energy drinks, including the antidepressant tianeptine.

Though the legislature is considering more permanent solutions, Ohio has enacted an emergency rule, expiring in June 2026, that bans synthetic kratom products. FitzGerald said he plans to draft a proposal that would ban synthetic versions of the drug, and potentially place age restrictions requiring ID at the point of sale for non-synthetic, or natural, kratom. 7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH, is a concentrated form of kratom, a plant-derived substance that has been commonly used for pain relief and as a stimulant. Consult your healthcare provider before using kratom products.

Local Head Shops That Sell Kratom

At the close of the legislative session, a proposal prohibiting the sale of 7-OH products across New York state passed both houses unanimously. “It’s way more intense than kratom itself,” said Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration calls it an “emerging public health threat.” Always seek the advice of a physician or healthcare provider for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Pain News Network is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit online news service for information and commentary about chronic pain and pain management.

In the beginning, that’s a very enticing aspect of using a drug.” In the forms they’re sold as, however — which are partially, if not totally, synthetic — both are leagues more potent than what’s produced in the body as metabolites. Mitragynine itself has an opioid-like effect, but 7-OH took that sids 2014 effect to the next level.

• Between 2011 and 2017, national poison control centers fielded 1,807 calls about kratom exposures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Kats Botanicals has been delivering top-quality Kratom products, along with other supportive plant-based essentials since 2016.
• They’ve banned 7-OH and other “synthetic” versions of kratom, as well as natural leaf kratom, due to fears they can cause addiction and overdoses..
• “You figure ‘all-plant-based,’ ‘all-natural.’ I didn’t know too much about kratom. I did not know it was that addictive.”
• “Kratom is really dangerous and harmful and there are case reports of people dying from it,” said Wakeman.

"We've been advocating for exactly this type of regulatory approach − one that protects consumers from synthetic derivatives while preserving access to traditional botanical ingredients with centuries of safe use," Korehbandi said. But with action by the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the tide on kratom may finally be turning. When someone she trusted recommended a Feel Free tonic that contained kratom, she bought it from a local CBD store in 2021. The Coleman Institute in Richmond said at the beginning of this year that 75% of their calls were related to kratom and 7-OH. RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia is cracking down on kratom and a stronger chemical compound linked to it after Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a new bill into law Tuesday. “We want to save as many people from this evil substance,” said Democratic state Assemblyman Phil Steck.

It is a joint effort among the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the attorney general’s office, the Department of Forensic Sciences and local police departments to get the dangerous drugs off store shelves. Three reported either being employed full-time or working as a consultant for the drug development company which conducted the study. No FDA-approved drugs contain 7-OH, and it is not lawful in dietary supplements or conventional foods. Feel free® is a dietary supplement for healthy adults. We actively discourage use by anyone with a history of substance abuse, those under 21 years of age, pregnant or nursing women, or anyone who may be sensitive to our active ingredients.