Latest news with #HolisticAlternativeRecoveryTrust
Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Big Kratom Caught Paying Fake Protesters to Smear 7-OH Outside Las Vegas Trade Show
LAS VEGAS, NV, July 25, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- This week, hired actors were spotted protesting 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) outside the CHAMPS Trade Show in Las Vegas in a desperate attempt by Big Kratom to manufacture support for their campaign to pit kratom and 7-OH customers against each other. This ridiculous incident reveals just how far industry insiders will go to manipulate public perception and protect their own profits, even if it means faking public outrage and dividing the very community they claim to serve. A now-deleted Craigslist ad (see attached image) offered $100–$150 per day to 'peaceful protesters' for a one-day gig on July 23, calling for 75–100 'reliable individuals' to stage a 'high-visibility protest action.' The actors had matching t-shirts, but, according to people who engaged them, opens new tab, they did not have the slightest idea of what they were protesting. The paid actors had signs, opens new tab featuring a QR code (see also attached image) leading to a petition, opens new tab organized by John Ramsay, who works for MIT45, opens new tab: which is a founding member, opens new tab of the American Kratom Association (AKA) and a part of the Global Kratom Coalition (GKC), opens new tab. Both AKA and GKC are Big Kratom lobbying groups that have been attacking 7-OH in the media and with legislators across the country. Jeff Smith, national policy director of the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART), had the following statement: 'Buying protestors proves it: the war on 7-OH is a completely manufactured controversy. When you have to stage a protest, you don't have a real movement. Donors to the American Kratom Association and Global Kratom Coalition should be mortified that this is the kind of action that their donations are being spent on. 'Kratom in general, not just 7-OH, is facing an existential threat in state legislatures. Consumers lost kratom access in two more states this year, mostly because of a botched kratom industry strategy attacking 7-OH instead of promoting the positive about their own products. The evidence is clear: when the industry tries to divide customers into kratom and 7-OH blocks, we all lose. This industry has to accept that we succeed or fail together. I'd rather succeed. 'Big Kratom seems to think they can save their members' bottom line by burning the whole industry down, no matter how much their misguided strategy backfires. At HART, we fight for the rights of kratom and 7-OH users alike because we think people are more important than a silly industry turf war. 'HART is in Las Vegas this weekend at CHAMPS to call on the kratom industry to stop the infighting and join the push for evidence-based and reasonable regulations that protect access for everyone who relies on kratom and 7-OH, before it's too late.' About Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) is a national nonprofit organization advocating for science-based policy, regulatory transparency, and access to safe, plant-based alternatives to opioids and other pharmaceuticals. 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a metabolite of mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid found in kratom, is a new tool being used to combat opioid misuse and improve public health. HART strongly supports robust regulation to mandate that all 7-OH products are manufactured safely, are marketed transparently, and are kept out of the hands of children. Learn more at opens new tab. Media Contact HART Mediamedia@ ### SOURCE: Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
Associated Press
18-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
New Study Raises Red Flags About Ingredients Found in Gas Station Heroin
Research conducted on dogs shows serious adverse effects at doses far lower than commonly sold amounts The Stop Gas Station Heroin coalition is sounding the alarm after reviewing a new animal study commissioned by CBD American Shaman, a Missouri-based company that sells '7' products in stores across the country. The study, which tested the effects of increasing doses of two lab-made substances — '7' (7-hydroxymitragynine) and 'Pseudo' (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl) — was funded to support the company's bid for FDA drug approval. But the research methods and results raise serious red flags for consumers of Gas Station Heroin. First, a clear conflict of interest occurred in conducting this study: CBD American Shaman has been illegally selling 7 products as dietary supplements since 2022, and the research was released by Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART), a group with a financial stake in 7 and Pseudo products. Second, the study suggests these drugs may be far more dangerous than their labels imply: CBD American Shaman tells consumers that 7.5 milligrams, or half a tablet, is a safe serving. But based on the study's own data, that amount may be more than 25 times higher than what would be considered safe for human consumption. Using standard FDA methods to translate the effects seen in dogs to humans, Stop Gas Station Heroin estimates that just 0.3 milligrams could cross the threshold for risk. Yet many consumers of these products are unknowingly ingesting significantly greater amounts. Moreover, the study points to clear risks of addiction and dependency with misuse. 'These are not natural products. They are chemically altered, unapproved pharmaceutical drugs being marketed as herbal remedies,' said Matthew Lowe, Executive Director of Stop Gas Station Heroin. 'You can't just slap a 'dietary supplement' label on a drug and skip the safety trials.' CBD American Shaman and other purveyors of Gas Station Heroin have marketed 7 and Pseudo products as supplements formulated to cure, treat, and mitigate disease — namely, chronic pain and opioid use disorder — even though the products have never been approved by the FDA for any medical use. If companies like CBD American Shaman want to sell these substances legally, they must demonstrate the drugs' safety and effectiveness through a rigorous series of clinical trials and submit the results to the FDA as part of the New Drug Approval process. Until then, Stop Gas Station Heroin is calling for the immediate removal of these synthetic street drugs from store shelves. About Stop Gas Station Heroin Stop Gas Station Heroin is a national coalition that aims to educate consumers about harmful synthetic drugs and advocate for smart regulation that distinguishes between legitimate, natural botanicals and dangerous, synthetic drugs, combined with enforcement of current federal laws around unapproved drugs. To learn more, navigate to Media Contact Colby Wilson [email protected] ### SOURCE: Stop Gas Station Heroin Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire
