When 7-OH fears drive policy by anecdote |
For generations, communities in Southeast Asia have used the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa — kratom — brewed as a drink to relieve pain and steady mood. Its principal alkaloids, mitragynine and the more potent 7-hydroxymitragynine, act on opioid receptors and produce analgesic effects.
Kratom has since gained a significant presence in the United States, where consumers often use it as an alternative to prescription opioids or as a self-directed aid in managing withdrawal. It is sold in teas, capsules, powders, and concentrated extracts, with purified 7-OH products increasingly appearing in vape shops, convenience stores, and online markets.
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Regulators are now moving toward prohibition. Last July, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to urge the Drug Enforcement Administration to place 7-OH in Schedule I — the same legal category as heroin.
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Supporters of these efforts argue that kratom — especially high-potency 7-OH — could fuel the next wave of overdose deaths. But the data tell a........