Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that the state is expanding a 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) emergency ban at a Tampa General Hospital media event. The substance has been sold at gas stations and retail stores.
Background on 7-OH
Our chemists have analyzed that it can be 13 times or more potent than morphine. Since 2013, Florida medical examiners have linked at least 587 overdose deaths to 7-OH and related chemical compounded drugs.
In August 2025, the state classified 7-OH as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. The emergency rule made it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated form of the drug.
Expansion of the Ban
With the expansion, the state will make sure that new chemical compounds that are being used to blend or substitute 7-OH derivatives are included. Forms such as 7-hydroxymitragynine, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, 7-acetoxymitragynine, 9-hydroxycorynantheidine, 10-hydroxycorynantheidine, MGM-15 and MGM-16 will now be impacted.
No product may contain more than 1 milligram of these dangerous chemicals per gram. Any product containing any amount of 7-OH or its related compounds must also contain at least 100 times more regular mitragynine by mass.
People who disobey the expansion rule can receive up to 30 year prison sentences. Uthmeier added that 7-OH products have not been authorized for medical purposes in Florida.
Impact on Local Community
Tampa General Hospital executive vice president and president Melissa Golombek said, Too often we see in our emergency room patients coming through experiencing overdose. With access to 7 – OH at every convenience store, we are having kids and teens purchase this without understanding the true addiction and highly lethal ability that this drug has.
Tampa General Hospital emergency medicine physician Dr. Cory Howard added that we have seen a rising trend of exposure to these 7 – OH products. The substance is often found in consumer-friendly formats, such as gummies, tablets, drink mixes, teas and capsules.
Patti Wheeler has experienced the negative impacts of kratom concentrates firsthand. Her son Wyatt lost his life in October 2022. She explained that he initially purchased a powder as an alternative to alcohol. Six weeks later, Wyatt died in his brother’s arms having a seizure after consuming a kratom product.
People deserve to know what they’re putting in their body, she said. They deserve proper labeling. They deserve honest information and families should not find out about kratom when it’s too late.
Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.
