By AZ Mirror
The federal government is seeking to restrict a synthetic kratom product that is already banned in Arizona but easy to find all across the state.
Last week the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency announced it is recommending that 7-OH, the informal name for 7-hydroxymitragynine, be scheduled and restricted under the Controlled Substances Act.
The compound is found naturally on the leaves of the kratom plant in small percentages and is responsible for its opioid-like qualities. But lab-created synthetic versions of it, usually in tablet form, often have higher concentrations of 7-OH than one can get from the plant alone.
Kratom, also known as Mitragyna speciosa, is native to Southeast Asia and is related to the coffee plant. Its leaves have long been ground into a powder, which can then be taken in pill form, smoked or turned into tea.
When ingested, kratom interacts with many of the same receptors in the brain that opioids do. Because of that, many advocates say kratom can be used as an alternative to opioids — and can be a tool to fight opioid addiction.
