The decade-old battle for kratom's legal status is heating up, but this time, the fight is within the community itself. Advocates who once united against a potential DEA ban are now clashing over a powerful extract known as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a concentrated form of kratom's active compound with potent opioid-like effects.
What started as a movement to position kratom as a natural alternative to opioids has fractured. The American Kratom Association (AKA), a major industry lobby group, is now calling for bans on 7-OH products, which are increasingly found in gummies, capsules, and shots across convenience stores. AKA's senior public policy fellow, Mac Haddow, slammed these products as "chemically manipulated, full-blown opioids" that are falsely marketed as kratom.
The rise of 7-OH has sparked serious concerns. Consumers report excruciating withdrawal symptoms, and there have been instances of polydrug overdoses involving 7-OH. The wider kratom community fears that the negative press surrounding 7-OH could jeopardize the entire kratom industry. Meanwhile, the 7-OH industry is pushing back, arguing that 7-OH is an integral part of kratom and that its benefits outweigh the risks.
Federal officials have also waded into the controversy. Last July, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. labeled the 7-OH industry "sinister," with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary urging the DEA to classify it as a Schedule I substance. This comes amid reports of ties between some administration officials and a lobbyist connected to a kratom drinks company that has faced regulatory scrutiny.
Supporters of 7-OH, like Michele Ross of the 7-HOPE Alliance, liken its relationship to kratom to caffeine's relationship to coffee. However, critics point out that unlike kratom, which has a long history of use, 7-OH is a relatively new market entrant with largely unknown long-term effects. Researchers also express concern that many 7-OH products contain unstudied compounds.
Despite federal calls for action, several states have already implemented bans on 7-OH, with some also outlawing kratom. The debate highlights a complex dilemma: while some view kratom, including its potent extracts, as a vital tool for managing opioid dependence and anxiety, the proliferation of highly concentrated products raises significant public health questions. The industry is now bracing for potential federal action, with the future of kratom and its derivatives hanging in the balance.
