Overview

• HHS and FDA have formally proposed placing 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a synthetic kratom byproduct, in Schedule I, triggering a DEA public comment and rule-making period.
• FDA Commissioner Marty Makary described 7-OH as an opioid more potent than morphine with no accepted medical use.
• Healthcare providers report increasing cases of kratom and 7-OH dependence marked by nausea, seizures and opioid-like withdrawal symptoms.
• Advocacy groups and the American Kratom Association are urging third-party testing, standardized labeling and age limits for kratom products.
• States including Alabama, Rhode Island and Wisconsin continue to tighten or enact bans as industry players like Botanic Tonics settle lawsuits over misleading marketing.