Los Angeles county officials are set to pull kratom and its synthetic extract, sometimes called 7-OH, from shelves immediately.<\/p>\n
Inspectors will be sent to retailers next week to begin red-tagging illegal products containing the compounds, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a release Friday morning. Shops that don\u2019t comply could be hit with fines or other penalties. <\/p>\n
Kratom is an herbal extract from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. It is sold in shops and online in a variety of forms, including powders, pills and liquid extracts. Brands selling kratom often make claims that it can address pain, anxiety and mood disorders. <\/p>\n
Matthew Lowe, executive director of the Global Kratom Coalition, said natural kratom has been used in the U.S. for over 50 years to alleviate anxiety and treat chronic pain.<\/p>\n
In the last few years, a more potent, synthetic version of kratom refined into its psychoactive compound 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, hit shelves across the U.S.<\/p>\n
7-OH products are often marketed as \u201cplant alkaloids,\u201d drawing criticism from some, including Lowe, who argue the labeling is misleading, confusing consumers into thinking it\u2019s the same as natural kratom. <\/p>\n
When mixed with alcohol, medications or illicit drugs, the county health department warns, 7-OH products can \u201ccause severe respiratory depression and death. Importantly, these products are unregulated and may contain unknown concentrations of 7-OH, increasing the risk of unintentional overdose.\u201d<\/p>\n
There have been six reported kratom-related deaths<\/a> in Los Angeles County in just the past few months.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven that this is new and emerging substance, this is also since the medical examiner started tracking 7-OH data,\u201d the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told The Times via email. Since the county only just began tracking 7-OH in deaths in April of this year, it is unclear how many other overdoses could have occurred previously.<\/p>\n Alcohol was also found in all six individuals, so kratom and 7-OH\u2019s exact role in their deaths remains unclear. The Times first requested the coroner\u2019s report for the kratom-related deaths on Oct. 24, but the county has yet to release them.<\/p>\n \u201cKratom and 7-OH products are sold as natural remedies, but they are illegal and unsafe,\u201d Dr. Muntu Davis, the county health officer said in the release. \u201cThey are sold in gas stations, smoke shops, online, and other retailers. People should avoid using these products, and store owners\/operators must remove them immediately to prevent harm.\u201d<\/p>\n Right now, consumers have no clarity on kratom, 7-OH, or any other metabolites, said Ya\u00ebl Ossowski, deputy director of Consumer Choice Center, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group. \u201cAt any gas station or smoke shop, there\u2019s the powder, the liquid extracts, and pills all offered at different doses, with different brands,\u201d Ossowski said. \u201cThis obviously leads to consumer confusion and uninformed choices, incorrect dosing and likely bad experiences that smart regulation would avoid.\u201d<\/p>\n The kratom and 7-OH market has grown largely because people want targeted pain relief and remedies for their ailments, \u201cbut don\u2019t necessarily want to have the full effects of more powerful opioids that have a fuller effect on the body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cKratom has been successfully used for generations in other countries as an opioid alternative,\u201d Ossowski said. But highly concentrated 7-OH products are a different beast altogether. <\/p>\n According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, kratom<\/a> and 7-OH<\/a> are not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement or an approved food additive.<\/p>\n California adopts federal law concerning food and dietary supplements, the California Department of Public Health told The Times via email.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil kratom and its pharmacologically active key ingredients mitragynine and 7-OH are approved for use, they will remain classified as adulterants in drugs, dietary supplements and foods,\u201d a department spokesperson said.<\/p>\n The spokesperson added that the department has been conducting investigative work associated with kratom for the last two years and \u201ccontinues to take appropriate action to protect the public against adulterated products containing kratom or 7-OH.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCDPH embargoes or destroys foods and dietary supplements within the state that are adulterated with kratom or 7-OH once they are identified during investigations; however, we do not comment on the specifics of ongoing investigations,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n 7-OH producers have publicly defended their products in the face of lawsuits and FDA crackdowns, arguing it is a safer alternative to illicit opioids like fentanyl and has saved lives, not taken them.<\/p>\n Vince Sanders, founder and CEO of CBD American Shaman who helped develop an early 7-OH product, has said the attack on 7-OH is being led by companies selling natural kratom, who have had their market share overtaken by what he says is \u201ca vastly superior product.\u201d <\/p>\n The Kansas City businessman said a ban anywhere in the country would hurt people who have used 7-OH to treat substance abuse disorders or chronic pain and now rely on the product as an alternative to costly prescription medication.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople that have changed their life using it are extremely concerned,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThey\u2019re scared to death. I mean, there are people that … plan to pull money out of their 401K, or load up their credit cards, or whatever they\u2019ve got to do to buy years and years of supply.\u201d<\/p>\n He acknowledged that both kratom and 7-OH are frequently taken in higher doses than he recommends, but argued manufacturers and retailers should not be held accountable for those decisions. He compared it to alcohol: \u201cYou buy a 750-milliliter bottle, and if you go home and drink that entire bottle, and you do that every single night, is that your fault, or is that Jim Beams\u2019 fault?\u201d<\/p>\n