August 27, 2026 update: The federal drug enforcement agency is placing several opioids in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, while extending the public input period for another.
On Aug 26, the Drug Enforcement Administration published restrictions on three substances related to 7OH, a psychoactive chemical found in the Southeast Asian plant kratom.
The DEA is also proposing to add higher concentrations of 7OH into schedule I.
The Department of Health and Human Services Wednesday extended the public input period for the strength of 7OH it should criminalize. The original comment period on the proposed threshold ended on July 31 and has been pushed to September 10.
The federal drug enforcement agency is placing several opioids in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, while extending the public input period for another.
On Wednesday, August 26, the Drug Enforcement Administration published restrictions on three substances related to 7OH, a psychoactive chemical found in the Southeast Asian plant kratom.
The DEA is also proposing to add higher concentrations of 7OH into schedule I.
The Department of Health and Human Services Wednesday extended the public input period for the strength of 7OH it should criminalize. The original comment period on the proposed threshold ended on July 31 and has been pushed to September 10.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced in July it plans to place place 7-hydroxymitragynine and several synthetic versions into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Gallatin City-County Public Health Officer Lori Christenson says related products are sold at gas stations and smoke shops across the region.
“Scheduling gives us all collectively better tools to get 7-OH products off the market before they spread further and cause further harm,” she said.
The DEA proposes to schedule 7OH for two years.
Kratom remains unregulated nationally, ranging from powders and pills to canned drinks and teas marketed as herbal supplements or alternatives to alcohol. Lewis and Clark County Public Health Officer Drenda Niemann says that leaves a regulatory gap with no legal requirements for age limits or accurate labeling about ingredients, regardless of the product.
“From a public health perspective, we have a bigger problem with kratom at large that we need to sort out in the state and in the country really,” said Niemann. “The DEA action is a nice first step, but I think there’s a lot more work that needs to be done.”
August 27, 2026 editor's note: The content of this story has been edited to reflect that scheduling 7OH is still under consideration.
