Florida Labels Synthetic Opioid 7-OH as Schedule 1 Drug

The substance—a synthetic form of kratom, a plant extract—is contained in products such as drinks and gummies sold in gas stations and stores.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (C) speaks at a press conference at Tampa General Hospital with FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary (L) in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 13, 2025. T.J. Muscaro/The Epoch Times

Florida on Aug. 13 labeled a synthetic opioid known as 7-OH as a Schedule 1 drug.

James Uthmeier, the attorney general of Florida, issued an emergency notice that immediately placed the drug, also known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, under Schedule 1 “in order to curtail its abuse by Florida’s children, young adults, and others.”

Uthmeier is going to ask legislators to make the action permanent in its 2026 legislative session.

Schedule 1 drugs have no medical use and a high potential for abuse, according to state law. They cannot be sold. Examples include heroin and LSD.

While 7-OH is a natural substance in a plant called kratom, products with 7-OH on the market contain concentrated amounts that are synthetically derived through chemical manipulation, officials say.

The products include drinks and gummies and are available at some gas stations and other stores.

“7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,” Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said in a recent statement as federal regulators announced they would be taking steps to restrict sales of the substance.

Makary said he expects 7-OH to be listed federally as a Schedule 1 drug but that the Drug Enforcement Administration will make that decision.

The agency has not responded to a request for comment.

Uthmeier told a briefing on Wednesday that the Florida action was driven by a desire to make the state the safest place to raise a family. He noted that some 7-OH products are marketed to children.

“It is a significant painkiller. It has been proven to be highly addictive and easily can be overdosed. So it’s very dangerous,” he said, adding later, “We are taking emergency action now because we see immediate danger.”

Makary appeared with the Florida attorney general. The commissioner, who has criticized how the FDA approved opioids, which later resulted in the opioid epidemic, told the press conference, “We’ve been burned by medical groupthink in the past,” including with opioids.

“We got burned with fentanyl. We got burned with prescription drugs. We cannot get behind the eight-ball again,” he said. “This might be the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic. I hope it’s not. I hope we’re wrong. But why not be proactive, instead of reactive?”

Dr. Charles Lockwood, dean of the University of Southern Florida Morsani College of Medicine, spoke in support of the move, as did Dr. Cory Howard, an associate director of Florida Poison Control.

Howard, who is also an emergency room doctor, said he has seen four patients with problems after ingesting 7-OH.

The seven companies that recently received warnings about selling 7-OH products did not immediately respond to inquiries.