FDA takes steps to restrict kratom byproduct

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week recommended scheduling certain 7‐hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7‐OH) products under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The FDA is specifically targeting 7‐OH, a concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant; it is not focused on natural kratom leaf products. 7‐OH is increasingly recognized as having potential for abuse because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors. “Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7‐OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat‐footed again,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. “7‐OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine. We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.”