Home / Health / DEA Bans Potent Kratom Compounds: Heroin, LSD Class
DEA Bans Potent Kratom Compounds: Heroin, LSD Class
3 Jul
Summary
- DEA plans temporary ban on 7-hydroxymitragynine and related substances.
- These compounds will be classified as Schedule I, like heroin and LSD.
- The ban targets synthetic products, not botanical kratom.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is set to implement a temporary ban on certain synthetic kratom compounds, classifying them alongside drugs like heroin and LSD. The agency plans to place 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and three related substances into Schedule I, signifying no accepted medical use and a high abuse potential.
This ban, effective for two years with a possible extension, will cover products with significant concentrations of 7-OH. It also includes synthetic compounds MP, MGM-15, and MGM-16, often found online in various product forms and marketed as kratom extracts despite being synthetic opioids. Regulators expressed concern over these substances' unpredictable effects and potential appeal to young people.
The DEA clarified that this action does not affect botanical kratom products. The scheduling is strictly aimed at synthesized substances posing an imminent threat to public safety. Public health and addiction advocacy groups have supported the DEA's decisive action.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that these dangerous opioids fuel addiction and risk American lives. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had previously warned consumers against kratom and recommended 7-OH be scheduled due to its opioid-like properties. The FDA advises against kratom use due to risks of serious adverse events.
