Medical experts call opioid-like supplement sold in Florida smoke shops 'legal morphine'
The Brief
Medical experts are calling an over-the-counter substance sold in Florida legal morphine.
7-OH, also known as hydroxymitragynine, is sold in small pouches and comes in various flavors.
Proponents of the medication say it can be effective in treating addiction.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - An over-the-counter substance sold in Florida smoke shops is raising concerns among medical experts, who are calling it a potential public health threat.
The backstory
The chemical, known as 7-OH – or hydroxymitragynine – is marketed in small pouches, sold for less than $10, and comes in flavors such as mint, berry and blue razz.
Researchers say, however, what's inside is far more dangerous than it looks.
"It is a completely opioid molecule," said Dr. Chris McCurdy, a professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. "So it interacts only with opioid receptors."
What they're saying
McCurdy and his colleague, Dr. Abhisheak Sharma has been studying 7-OH, and they say the product mimics the effects of potent opioids, without any regulation or oversight.
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"These products have shown addiction already in many people," McCurdy said. "We've seen this through interviewing a lot of individuals that are taking these products. Some individuals are taking 10 times, even 15 times, the labeled dosage."
Sharma warns the compound has never been studied in humans.
"There is no human data, first of all. The data we have is from pre-clinical research," Sharma said. "It has some similar activities, like morphine, and that's why I call it legal morphine – because you can buy it on market shelves."
Big picture view
Now, Florida lawmakers are stepping in.
State Senator Jay Collins has proposed new legislation to ban 7-OH products statewide. Past attempts have failed, but another bill is set to be heard in committee on Tuesday.
McCurdy, who is working with Collins on the legislation, says the lack of regulation is dangerous.
"Unfortunately, they can be marketed in the United States right now without much regulation because there's no regulation in this whole space," McCurdy said. "What they have created is an isolated, chemical entity that we know is a pure opioid."
The other side
However, not everyone agrees with banning the product. The Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) released a statement supporting 7-OH's potential in treating addiction.
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"HART believes 7-OH could provide a new set of tools to combat opioid misuse and improve public health," the statement read. "Proper regulation of this substance would also expand access to safe options for managing stress and decreasing reliance on harmful, illicit substances."
FOX 13 reached out to 7-Tabz, a leading brand associated with the product, but did not receive a response.
The Source
FOX 13's Evyn Moon collected the information in this story.
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