Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced that the state has removed more than 17,000 packages of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) from retail stores across the state on Monday. The announcement comes after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier classified 7-OH, a chemical compound found naturally in the kratom plant, as a Schedule I controlled substance in August.
"Our team has removed 17,311 packages of isolated and/or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) from retail locations in more than 20 Florida counties," Simpson said.
Kratom is a tropical tree typically found in Southeast Asia. While 7-OH is naturally found in low levels on Kratom leaves, and a powerful synthetic version can be found in extracts, shots, powders, or capsules in convenience stores like 7-11 or Chevron across Florida if left unchecked.
More specifically, synthetic 7-OH is marketed in health and wellness supplements despite having severe health consequences, including addiction, overdose, and other serious health effects.
The products are also often promoted using colorful or fancy packaging, making them more susceptible to teens and young adults. The Florida Department of Health recently saw an increase in emergency visits in people under the age of 25 related to Kratom products.
Under Uthmeier's emergency rule, it is illegal to sell, possess, or distribute 7-OH in concentrations of more than 400 parts per million.
The attorney general said the action would empower law enforcement and regulatory agencies to "begin immediate enforcement and removal of these products from retail locations statewide," emphasizing Simpson's announcement.
To further highlight its seriousness, 7-OH is now classified in the same category as heroin, LSD, and fentanyl analogs by the state.
"Our FDACS inspectors have been on the front lines working every day to get these dangerous, illegal products off the shelves," Simpson said. "These ‘wellness’ products are nothing more than vape shop morphine, and we will continue using every tool at our disposal to educate and protect families, and make sure these products have no place in our communities."
