Gas station heroin Tennessee kratom ban bill now heads to Gov. Bill Lees desk

The Department said alcohol was present in all cases, but that the decedents were otherwise healthy, "with no other substances identified as substantively contributing to their deaths." In November 2025, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department urged retailers to immediately stop selling the products, claiming that six recent overdose deaths in Los Angeles County were tied to 7-OH ingestion. They are often labeled as a dietary supplement to help with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid withdrawal. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The California Department of Public Health is sounding the alarm on Kratom, as well as a potent derivative of the plant called 7-OH. “It is a laboratory-produced version that uses the active ingredient which is mitragynine and multiplies it in strength dramatically as much as a hundred times and it makes 7-OH basically an opioid like any other opioid,” said Steck. “We want to save as many people from this evil substance,” said Democratic state Assemblyman Phil Steck.

Ban on synthetic kratom in effect in Ohio, but more action could be coming

“But with kratom, I can at least function,” Kratom Farms he continued. It will take me 30 minutes just to get out of bed,” said one man from Meridian who said he owns an online kratom shop. Earlier in Thursday’s meeting, people spoke for and against the ban.

She thought it was just another energy drink. It took half her bodyweight and sent her to rehab.

Just weeks prior to his death, Brandon Clarke was arrested for possession of kratom. These types of products are here to stay, but we must ensure we continue to access them legally as the situation evolves. Reputable vendors will not ship to states where their products are prohibited. Concentrated 7-OH products isolate this single compound at much higher levels. Natural kratom contains dozens of alkaloids, with 7-OH comprising less than 2% of total content.

Red Maeng Da Kratom

A representative for Botanic Tonics, the company behind Feel Free, told USA TODAY its Feel Free Classic tonic contains only natural leaf kratom, with nearly undetectable levels of 7-OH. Many products on the market contain kratom, and they come in many forms. Despite their dangers, kratom products remain legal in most states, including California.

• In May, Colorado’s governor signed the Daniel Bregger Act into law, named after a young man who died from a toxic combination of a highly-concentrated product of the active psychoactive ingredient found in kratom and a common allergy drug.
• (Its effectiveness in reducing opioid cravings has not been thoroughly evaluated.)
• General physical side effects of kratom can include nausea, constipation, dizziness and dry mouth.
• And when these people try to quit kratom, Filippone says, often they’re unprepared for just how intense the withdrawals can be.
• If someone that used kratom is experiencing an overdose, call 911.
• Kratom leaf companies have tried to distinguish themselves as wholly different from 7-OH manufacturers, who disagree with such delineations.
• For example, kratom extract is considered to be significantly more potent than kratom powder.

Deadly substance under scrutiny as kratom byproduct shows up in gas stations, smoke shops

• Read more about kava vs kratom and find out how these two botanical-based ingredients can complement each other to support you everyday wellness.
• A growing number specifically restrict high-concentration 7-OH products, but still consider natural kratom to be legal.
• Companies have purified mitragynine, which can be bought in bulk in kilograms.
• Hopefully this work will lead to a new treatment option for people with opioid use disorder and support a path to recovery,” Joni Rutter, PhD, Director of the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, said in a press release.
• It’s a potent kratom alkaloid designed for careful, responsible use.

Do not combine this product with alcohol or other medications. Consult a physician before consuming if taking any medication or if you have a medical condition, including but not limited to heart disease, high blood pressure, or liver disorder. He also performs rigorous lab testing because he understands what it takes to get a high-quality and safe product to market. As a champion for botanical therapy, Justin created a Facebook group where more than 12,000 people discuss botanicals, and Kratom.

The use of kratom in any form has not been approved by the FDA but the agency is particularly scrutinizing 7-OH. An herbal supplement that’s marketed as a cure-all for chronic pain and sold in gas stations and smoke shops is getting banned in communities across Southern California and the nation. We can only ship CBD products with 0% THC to Kansas. A representative for 7-HOPE Alliance Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on kratom and 7-OH research and policy, reached out to ABC7 News after publication to state that the California state agencies' advisories "may have created a misleading impression surrounding the current regulatory and legislative status of kratom and 7OH," and that it is inaccurate to say that it is illegal to sell kratom and 7OH in all jurisdictions. In the meantime, it's important to know that these products are often marketed with bright, colorful packaging designed to mimic regulated products and are typically sold as beverages, pills, powders, and gummies. "I think that what we need to do is, we need to figure out how to educate people. We need to get similar to what we do with cigarettes, alcohol, or cannabis. At this point, it needs to be, you know, warning labels about what it is and what it does," said Micah Sawyer, the founder of a Sonoma County non-profit educating youth about the dangers of substance abuse.