7-Hydroxymitragynine (hy-droxy-mit-ra-gine-ine), or 7-OH, may soon permanently become a Schedule-1 drug in Florida.
Sale of the semi-synthetic substance that comes from the Kratom plant, was barred through an emergency rule from the state attorney general last year. Before that, it was available for purchase in gas stations and smoke shops.
Apopka Republican Representative Doug Bankson says that's dangerous. He has a bill (HB 309) to make possession of a product or substance with a higher 7-0H concentration than .4 mg per gram a third-degree felony.
"The problem is, is they are amping this up to 13 times more potent than morphine. It is another opioid that literally takes and addicts people. It is very dangerous," he said.
Some argue 7-0H can be used to manage opioid withdraw symptoms and should be regulated but not completely prohibited.
Jeff Smith, the national policy director for the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART), claimed during the committee meeting that 7-0H is being targeted by the Kratom industry. HART has butt heads with Kratom companies as 7-0H has draw the ire of national and state governments.
"It would single out one product that many Floridians rely on and use responsibly and leave a myriad of similar products unregulated and available to all," he said.
While some animal studies suggest Kratom could be used to help treat opioid withdrawal symptoms, no human trials have yet been conducted. An FDA assessment released last year concluded that 7-0H has potential for abuse.
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