Latest news with #7-OH
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Allegations of a 'turf war' arise in debate over regulating kratom in NC
A laptop displays the website of an online kratom retailer. (Photo: Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) North Carolina legislators are once again looking to put restrictions on kratom, which is currently unregulated in the state. The House Regulatory Reform Committee on Tuesday advanced House Bill 468, which would require retailers to obtain licenses to sell kratom and prohibit sales to or purchases by people younger than 21. The bill now heads to the House Finance Committee. According to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, kratom is a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses. It is derived from a southeast Asian tree leaf and sold in the United States as tea, powered in capsules, or as liquid. The DEA sought to temporarily ban kratom in 2016, but backed off after a public outcry. That year, North Carolina legislators sought in separate bills to ban kratom or limit sales to people over age 18. Neither of those bills became law. Last session, a proposal to regulate kratom died in the battle between the state House and Senate over legalizing medical marijuana. Kratom has been a factor in hundreds of fatal overdoses since 2020, according to the Washington Post and the Tamp Bay Times. A handful of states have banned it. The committee debate Tuesday centered on provisions in the bill that would ban synthetic versions of the compounds that produce psychoactive effects. The argument centered on the compound known as 7-OH. 'At the time, we choose not to have any synthetic products on the market in North Carolina,' said Rep. Jeff McNeely (R-Iredell), the bill's sponsor. Isaac Montanya, CEO of 7-OH producer Charlotte Extraction Labs, said the bill inserted itself into a turf war. He called its prohibition on synthetics 'a sly way to regulate 7-OH out of the market.' His company manufactures an ethical product, Montanya said. Jeff Smith, national policy director for Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, told the committee that people use 7-OH to ease opioid withdrawal. 'Banning 7-OH would turn patients into criminals,' he said. Sheldon Bradshaw, a former chief counsel with the FDA representing the industry group Botanicals for Better Health and Wellness, called 7-OH 'dangerous' and deceptively marketed. 'It has no business being on store shelves and in products that are being labeled as natural kratom and marketed as herbal supplements,' he said. McNeely said the ban on synthetics addresses the part of the plant that's going to be the most abused. 'We should have had kratom and cannabis regulated two years ago if not four years ago,' he said. 'Because it's been unregulated, we've allowed things to happen — good, bad, indifferent.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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. READ: Former deputy no-shows DUI manslaughter trial, warrant issued "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. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "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. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
