The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently announced it’s placing 7-hydroxymitragynine and several synthetic versions into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. 7OH is one of the psychoactive chemicals found in kratom, a plant traditionally brewed into tea in Southeast Asia.
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 plans to schedule 7OH for two years, starting in early August. The action targets the most lethal, synthetic byproducts, but leaves many weaker versions untouched.
Kratom remains unregulated nationally in all forms, 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.”
