Attorney General James Uthmeier Signs Emergency Rule Immediately Scheduling Dangerous 7-OH and Related Compounds as Schedule I Controlled Substances

Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Attorney General James Uthmeier today signed an emergency rule to control highly concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and several related chemical products being sold across Florida, which took effect immediately.

“Today I signed an emergency rule because these dangerous concentrated 7-OH products present an imminent hazard to the public safety of Floridians—especially our children and teens,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “By expanding the rule to include new 7-OH related compounds to Schedule I, we are removing these addictive poisons from store shelves, protecting families, and holding manufacturers and sellers accountable.”

“Last year, Florida took decisive action to help defend Floridians from dangerous, highly addictive 7-OH products,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “Working with Attorney General James Uthmeier and our law enforcement partners, we have put in place some of the strongest protections in the nation to keep these products off store shelves. Since our emergency rule took effect, FDACS has removed over 23,000 illegal 7-OH packages from retailers across Florida, and our inspectors continue to conduct routine checks and targeted sweeps across our state. We will use every tool available to protect consumers, safeguard our communities, and keep these addictive substances out of the hands of kids and families.”

“By today’s actions, we make it clear that public safety comes first,” said Florida State Representative Dean Black. “Special interests do not matter in this discussion. People’s lives are the only special interest we should care about. That sacred responsibility motivates us today and will guide us forward in the future.”

"7-OH poses a serious threat to public health," said State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo. "These highly concentrated products act on opioid receptors and have been linked to addiction, overdose, and seizures. I appreciate Attorney General Uthmeier's leadership in keeping these products off of Florida’s shelves and helping ensure Floridians have the information they need to protect themselves and their families."

“At Tampa General Hospital, we see firsthand the devastating consequences of dangerous substances like 7-OH," said Melissa Golombek, Executive Vice President of the Florida Health Sciences Center and President of Tampa General Hospital. "Too often, patients who have purchased these products at a nearby convenience store, unaware of how addictive and lethal they can be, arrive in our emergency department after an overdose. With the leadership of Attorney General Uthmeier, Commissioner Simpson and Surgeon General Ladapo, Florida is leading the nation to crack down on dangerous drugs and remove these products from our communities.”

“Exposure and overdose involving 7-OH mitragynine has been on the rise in recent years,” said Dr. Cory Howard, Emergency Medicine Physician, Tampa General Hospital/USF Department of Emergency Medicine, Board-Certified Medical Toxicologist, and Associate Medical Director, Florida Poison Control Tampa. “We are seeing this affect Floridians of all ages, from infants to the elderly, which speaks directly to how aggressively and irresponsibly this drug is marketed. Thanks to the decisive action of General Uthmeier, Commissioner Simpson and Surgeon General Ladapo, Florida is removing these products from shelves.”

“I have personally witnessed the harm caused by 7-OH mitragynine, a dangerous opioid-like substance that causes severe dependence and withdrawal, requiring intense support to foster recovery,” said Dr. Thomas Nappe, emergency physician, medical toxicologist with the Florida Poison Information Center - Tampa, Addiction Medicine Specialist, Medical Director of Inpatient Addiction Medicine at USF/TGH, and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at USF Morsani College of Medicine. “Prevention is key. With this Emergency Rule, General Uthmeier, Commissioner Simpson and Surgeon General Ladapo are working to keep lethal drugs out of reach in Florida.”

7-OH occurs naturally in kratom in trace amounts (0.01–0.04%), but concentrated versions sold in gas stations, vape shops, and online under brands like Hydroxy, 7Tabz, and 7OHMZ are far more hazardous.

These products act powerfully on opioid receptors, cause dose-dependent respiratory depression, rapid addiction, and severe withdrawal. Florida medical examiners have linked at least 587 overdose deaths to them since 2013, with hundreds of recent Poison Control cases—more than 25% requiring ICU care.

The chemicals covered include 7-hydroxymitragynine, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, 7-acetoxymitragynine, 9-hydroxycorynantheidine, 10-hydroxycorynantheidine, MGM-15, and MGM-16.

Key provisions of the rule:

• Strict limit: No product may contain more than 1 milligram of these dangerous chemicals per gram (solids/pills) or per milliliter (liquids).
• Any product containing any amount of 7-OH or its related compounds must also contain at least 100 times more regular mitragynine by mass, preventing super-concentrated and chemically altered formulas.
• Full Schedule I placement, enabling felony-level arrests, prosecutions, product seizures, and shutdowns of illegal manufacturers and sellers.

The products are deceptively marketed under brand names such as Hydroxy, 7Tabz, 777 Jackpot Alkaloids, Roxy 7-OH, and 7OHMZ in appealing flavors. Suppliers have used mislabeling tactics to evade detection. Multiple states have also taken strong action, and the Trump administration previously warned of these novel potent opioids and recommended DEA scheduling.

Violations can carry serious criminal penalties, including up to 30 years in prison.

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