TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida is taking action to stop what one leading health official calls the "fourth wave" of the opioid epidemic before it starts by banning 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an emergency rule classifying isolated and concentrated 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida. The rule makes it illegal to sell, possess, or distribute any isolated or concentrated form of 7-OH in the state.
"Due to the danger posed to the public, Florida is taking 7-OH off the shelves immediately. This dangerous substance is being marketed to teens and young adults and has a high potential for abuse and death," Uthmeier said.
You see the name kratom on store signs throughout Southwest Florida, but what's often sold as kratom is something else entirely, according to experts.
"It really is a coordinated drug trafficking ring," said Matthew Lowe, executive director of the Global Kratom Coalition.
Leaf kratom is a botanical from Southeast Asia that's been used for centuries for energy and focus, according to the Global Kratom Coalition. 7-OH is a naturally occurring compound found in kratom. However, Lowe says manufacturers have synthetically converted it into an opioid more powerful than morphine, often packaged with names similar to opioids.
"Kratom leaf is a dietary ingredient that is sold for wellness. 7-OH is an opioid that is sold to get people addicted and to get people high," Lowe said.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary, who recently called for 7-OH to be reclassified as a Schedule I narcotic similar to heroin or marijuana, joined Uthmeier in the announcement.
"We got burned with fentanyl. We got burned with prescription drugs. We cannot get behind the 8 ball again. This may be the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic," Makary said.
Lowe told Kruger he believes this action will save lives, while others believe the move could be harmful.
The Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) criticized the decision in a statement.
"This decision ignores the science," said Jeff Smith, National Policy Director for HART. "According to the FDA's database, there are zero confirmed deaths linked to 7-OH alone, and just eight adverse events ever reported, even with over half a billion adult uses. If 7-OH were truly the threat being claimed, the data would show it. It doesn't."
Uthmeier is urging the state legislature to take a hard look at 7-OH in the future.
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