kratom

The Scientific Association for Botanical Education and Research (SABER) is sounding the alarm over the public health risks associated with products labeled as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). These products, often falsely marketed as kratom leaf extracts, are synthetically produced and pose significant dangers, according to the association.

"Synthetic 7-OH is not kratom—it is a highly potent, unregulated chemical," said Professor Paula Brown of the BC Institute of Technology. "Consumers have a right to transparency, yet these products are often mislabeled and marketed deceptively as natural extracts. Without proper quality and safety testing, they carry a significant risk of causing harm."

Kratom has addictive properties and can be dangerous to use. The Poison Information Centre reports that several people in Sweden have sought medical attention after ingesting kratom. There are also several cases, according to the National Board of Forensic Medicine, where mitragynin has contributed to death or been the cause of death, writes FHM in a press release.

This Sweden Herald article strengthens the case for banning kratom by documenting its lethal risks (deaths, addiction), surging use (40 tons imported), and narcotic classification, mirroring your concerns about its untested dangers and the 5,800 U.S. deaths. It undermines regulation—such as the FKCPA or KCPA—by suggesting these measures can’t address kratom’s intrinsic hazards, enforcement challenges, or deceptive health claims, especially for self-medicating users (Scientific American, 2021). Sweden’s decisive action supports that a ban, not regulation, is the only way to halt this public health threat, given evidence regulation fails to prevent harm at scale.

Matthew Lowe, executive director of the advocacy group Global Kratom Coalition, said some synthetic products have "very, very high doses" of a particular chemical found in scant amounts in kratom leaf material. Several kratom researchers have warned that chemical — 7-hydroxymitragynine — poses a higher risk of abuse.
"It certainly isn't kratom as nature intended," said Lowe, whose organization supports the California bill. Kratom products should have "the same ratios as the alkaloids are found within nature."

Researchers detail how lawmakers and regulators could establish key guardrails for selling and using the herb.

The kratom association says it has reported dozens of kratom companies to the FDA for making medical claims. When asked for these reports, the association declined to share them.
Haddow, the association lobbyist, recently told CBS News that the industry has about 8,000 players. When asked how many are legitimate, he responded: “I would say three dozen, maybe a few more than that.”

Haddow- is a highly paid national lobbyist for the Kratom industry.  

Excellent, comprehensive research on Kratom.  Printalbe format. 

Some of the tactics in the kratom business may sound familiar. They mirror the strategies that were used for another controversial product — synthetic cannabis compounds, or “Spice.”

More than a decade ago, U.S. officials spotted a trend. Importers, court records show, were slipping Spice into the country from China by calling the white chemicals “cosmetics” or “sodium.” Products found at gas stations promised Spice was “herbal incense” or “not for human consumption.”

The Times bought the products from online vendors, gas stations, smoke shops and other businesses around the region. Below are the key testing results for each product.
They are ordered most potent to least, by product type, based on mitragynine levels. The Times also tested one product containing a large amount of 7-hydroxymitragynine, another kratom alkaloid that is more potent than mitragynine.
READ ARTICLE FOR SUMMARY OF EACH PRODUCT.
Sample of product summary

• The package the product was sent in came with a printed-out sheet showing testing results for mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, heavy metals and bacteria. A section of the report showing who ordered the results was blacked out.
• The product’s label advertised “pain relief + mood enhancement.” Federal law prohibits kratom companies from making medical claims on packaging or in advertising because the substance is not an approved drug.
• This product had nine times as much mitragynine as Sharma believes is safe to consume over an entire day.
• This product type was found at the scenes of two kratom-only overdoses in Florida.
• This product type was found at the scene of a kratom-only overdose in Florida.
• This product type was found at the scenes of two kratom-only overdoses in Florida.

U.S. Marshals, along with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators, seized more than 250,000 units of dietary supplements and bulk dietary ingredients that are or contain kratom, including 1,000 kilograms of bulk kratom.

Mitragyna speciosa, or Kratom, is a plant that grows in certain Southeast Asian countries and has been indicated to have narcotic and stimulant-like effects.

The complaint alleges there isn’t enough information to provide assurance about the safety of kratom and consuming kratom can lead to serious health issues including respiratory depression, vomiting, nervousness, weight loss and constipation, the complaint states.

The compliant also says withdrawal symptoms may include hostility, aggression, excessive tearing, aching of muscles and jerky limb movements.

Is Kratom just a tropical plant?