US Regulators Move to Ban Synthetic 7-OH and Related Compounds Amid Opioid Concerns
Temporary Schedule I classification aims to curb public health threats from highly concentrated products sold in retail and online channels.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has filed Notices of Intent to temporarily classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and three related synthetic substances into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The move follows a determination by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that these compounds possess a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
Two separate notices were submitted to the Federal Register on July 1, 2026. The first addresses 7-OH concentrations above a specified threshold, while the second targets three related synthetic substances: mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16. Once these temporary scheduling orders take effect, the manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of the covered substances will become subject to criminal, civil, and administrative provisions under the Controlled Substances Act.
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole stated that the action targets highly concentrated, synthetic 7-OH products that pose a growing threat to public safety. He noted that the scheduling provides law enforcement and public health partners with the necessary tools to address this emerging threat, citing ongoing partnership with the HHS and the Food and Drug Administration.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., commended the DEA for taking decisive action against what he described as dangerous opioids that fuel addiction. He emphasised that the HHS reviewed the science and recommended the action, adding that the administration intends to use every available authority to stop deceptive products and hold bad actors accountable.
The temporary scheduling explicitly excludes botanical kratom products containing naturally occurring 7-OH below the specified threshold. In its natural form, 7-OH is found in trace amounts in the Mitragyna speciosa plant. However, DEA laboratory findings indicate that commercial synthetic products often contain significantly higher amounts of 7-OH than those found in natural botanical kratom.
These synthetic products are widely marketed online and sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops in various forms, including powders, tablets, capsules, gummies, and dissolvable strips. The DEA believes these substances pose an imminent threat to public safety due to their highly unpredictable effects.
Today’s action is part of a broader effort to combat the opioid epidemic and protect American families from dangerous synthetic drugs. The regulatory shift underscores the federal government’s focus on addressing addictive and harmful substances that contribute to the ongoing public health crisis.
