Home · Health · Nov 1 archive
Kratom Industry Pushes for DEA Ban on 7-OH
· Confirmed
In Short: The DEA plans to temporarily ban 7-OH, a component of kratom, after industry lobbying.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plans to temporarily ban 7-OH, a component of kratom that has opioid-like effects and is sold in various forms in gas stations and smoke shops.
The move is a significant victory for the mainstream kratom industry, which has been fighting against 7-OH with the backing of government officials, including President Donald Trump.
The DEA's decision follows a raid on Botanic Tonics, a company producing Feel Free, a brand of kratom drinks, which was subject to a federal raid in 2023.
The 7-OH industry is pushing back, arguing that there is no scientific basis for the ban, which would take effect after a 30-day public comment period.
Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy for the American Kratom Association, said, “This DEA action should end the debate.”
Kratom lobbyists are celebrating the proposed ban on 7-OH, which they argue is necessary to protect consumers from dangerous products.
The American Kratom Association is asking The New York Times to correct or retract an Oct. 28 article about proposed federal controls on two opioid compounds found in some kratom products.
What this adds
The DEA's decision to ban 7-OH is a result of increased production and sales of unregulated 7-OH products, which can be much more potent than natural kratom products.
The ban is expected to impact the kratom industry significantly, with some users stockpiling supplies in anticipation of the ban.
What's confirmed
- October 30, 2026 7:59 PM / Staff Report The American Kratom Association is asking The New York Times to correct or retract an Oct. 28 article about proposed federal controls on two opioid compounds found in some kratom products.
- Sulzberger challenges the headline, “Trump Administration Backs Down on an Opioid Ban After Kratom Industry Lobbying.” It asks for a prominent correction, a revised headline and corrections sent to outlets that republished the story.
- October 30, 2026 7:59 PM / Staff Report The American Kratom Association is asking The New York Times to correct or retract an Oct.
- WASHINGTON, DC, October 30, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- The American Kratom Association is calling on The New York Times to publish a substantial correction or fully retract its Oct. 28, 2026, article, “Trump Administration Backs Down on an Opioid Ban After Kratom Industry Lobbying,” charging that the newspaper presented a materially misleading account of the Drug Enforcement Administration's revised federal scheduling proposal for 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI).
- "The New York Times owes its readers a correction that explains what the DEA actually proposed, rather than presenting a misleading political narrative that leaves out critical regulatory requirements," said Mac Haddow, Senior Fellow on Public Policy for the American Kratom Association.
- American Kratom Association logo / Source: American Kratom Association American Kratom Association logo / Source: American Kratom Association AKA charges that The New York Times misrepresented federal action on dangerous 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl products by ignoring combined opioid limits and a second, independent scheduling requirement.
- 28, 2026, article, “Trump Administration Backs Down on an Opioid Ban After Kratom Industry Lobbying,” charging that the newspaper presented a materially misleading account of the Drug Enforcement Administration's revised federal scheduling proposal for 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI).
- WASHINGTON, DC, October 30, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- The American Kratom Association is calling on The New York Times to publish a substantial correction or fully retract its Oct.
What's still developing
- At the time, the FDA, which was involved in the raid, noted that there was inadequate information on whether or not kratom, marketed as a dietary supplement, presents “a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury.” Mullin has invested up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics.
- Kratom is a Southeast Asian plant that has analgesic and antidepressant properties when taken in low doses.