July 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday moved to temporarily classify some strong kratom-related products under the strictest category of federal drug control, warning they act like opioids and could endanger consumers.
The action targets products with elevated levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which occurs naturally in very small amounts in kratom, a plant from Southeast Asia. But regulators say companies are selling pills, gummies, powders and liquid shots with much higher amounts.
Here are further details:
• The Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration supported the move, saying it is aimed at concentrated and synthetic products rather than natural kratom leaf without enhanced levels of 7-OH.
• The FDA has earlier recommended scheduling the 7-OH compound as a controlled substance due to its opioid properties.
• The DEA proposal, due to be published in the Federal Register on July 6, would place 7-OH above a set limit into Schedule I, the strictest category under U.S. drug law.
• The limit would generally cover kratom plant material with more than 0.050% 7-OH by dry weight, or certain products with more than 1 milligram of 7-OH.
• DEA is also moving to temporarily control three lab-made 7-OH-related substances called mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine and MGM-16.
(Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
