Federal Focus on Kratom-Derived Products

The increasing availability of kratom-derived products, often referred to as “gas station opioids,” has caught the attention of federal authorities. These concerns center around products containing high concentrations of substances like 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15, and MGM-16.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plans to temporarily classify these substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. This classification suggests these drugs lack accepted medical use. Importantly, the natural herbal form of kratom, still available over the counter, remains unaffected by this classification.

Kratom’s legal status within the United States varies significantly. Nine states have completely banned the herb, while over 30 states regulate its sale, including limits on 7-OH concentrations. However, in more than a dozen states, kratom remains in a legal gray zone, neither fully banned nor stringently regulated.

Since 2010, products featuring synthetically concentrated extracts of kratom, such as 7-OH, have become readily accessible at outlets like gas stations and tobacco shops. Oliver Grundmann, a clinical professor at the University of Florida, emphasizes the necessity of this scheduling. To show medical use, these substances would need FDA approval, a process these manufacturers have not engaged in.

“Placing 7-OH into a controlled substances schedule is adequate given what we know,” Grundmann stated.

This move aligns with public health policies focused on restricting substances deemed to have no accepted medical use.

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