US health officials crack down on kratom-related products
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Health officials are warning Americans about the risks of an opioid-related ingredient commonly sold at gas stations and convenience stores.

U.S. health officials are warning Americans about the risks of an opioid-related ingredient increasingly added to energy drinks, gummies and supplements sold at gas stations and convenience stores, recommending a nationwide ban.

The chemical, known as 7- hydroxymitragynine, is a component of kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia that has gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.

In recent months, dietary supplement companies that sell kratom have been urging the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on the products containing 7-OH, portraying it as a dangerously concentrated, synthetic form of the original ingredient.

The FDA action “is not focused on natural kratom leaf products," according to a statement Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • SeventySeven@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    25 days ago

    Don’t panic.

    The last line is important:

    The FDA action “is not focused on natural kratom leaf products," according to a statement Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    There’s a huge difference between kratom leaf and these “extract products”. Kratom isn’t just 7-hydroxymitragynine. In fact, the amount of 7-OH present in traditional kratom leaf powder is very minuscule. Kratom tea has lots of different alkoloids in it that also play a huge part in how things such as 7-OH is absorbed. Taking away these alkoloids and upping the dose of 7OH makes it feel like an entirely different (and MUCH stronger) drug altogether. It’s almost like taking away a chemical bond and making a different chemical out of it.

    I absolutely don’t agree with banning anything (fuck the war on drugs) but for once the FDA may have at least tried to listen to us and meet us halfway. The American Kratom Association is who we should be thanking for this effort. Please donate to them whenever possible!!

    https://www.americankratom.org/news/aka-response-to-fda

    The American Kratom Associations response to the FDA:

    Today the American Kratom Association applauded Secretary Robert Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary for their decisive and science-driven recommendation to classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. This bold step is a critical milestone in protecting public health and consumer safety from dangerous synthetic products that masquerade as natural kratom. “Secretary Kennedy and Commissioner Makary have shown exceptional leadership in confronting one of the most urgent public health threats related to mislabeled, manipulated psychoactive substances,” said Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association. “These 7-OH products are not kratom. They are chemically altered substances that carry potent opioid-like effects and pose an imminent threat to consumers. This move sends a clear and long-overdue message: the safety of the American public comes first.”