The fight against drugs The administration plans to temporarily ban 7-OH, a component of kratom that has opioid-like effects and is sold at gas stations and smoke shops nationwide in the form of gummies, drinks and capsules.

In a draft notice of intent in the Federal Register, scheduled for publication Monday, the federal agency says it will temporarily make 7-OH a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, the same category as heroin.

The ban would apply to products that exceed a specific 7-OH threshold and would be applicable for two years, with the possibility of extending it for a third. The DEA states that 7-OH “poses serious public health risks, including tolerance, dependence, and addiction.”

The move is a major victory for the mainstream kratom industry, which has been fighting 7-OH with the backing of government officials, including President Donald Trump.

Kratom is a Southeast Asian plant that has analgesic and antidepressant properties when taken in low doses. Natural kratom contains traces of 7-OH. But in recent years there has been an explosion in the production and sale of unregulated 7-OH products, which can be much more potent than natural kratom products.

In May, Trump endorsed “natural 7-OH,” meaning kratom, and said the administration was looking to “pass it.”

As WIRED previously reported, both Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have strong ties to the kratom industry. Kennedy has been photographed with JW Ross, a convicted felon and founder of Botanic Tonics, which produces Feel Free, a brand of kratom drinks that was the subject of a federal raid in 2023. At the time, the FDA, which was involved in the raid, noted that there was inadequate information on whether or not kratom, marketed as a dietary supplement, poses “a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury.” Mullin has invested up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics.

Many Feel Free users have reported suffering crippling withdrawal symptoms related to its use. In December, the Justice Department dropped its case against Botanic Tonics; Several months later, an LLC associated with Feel Free donated $500,000 to the MAHA PAC.

In response to a request for comment, a DHS spokesperson told WIRED that Mullin “follows all ethical and conflict of interest standards and has not lobbied on behalf of any individual or company. As a senator, Markwayne Mullin fought alongside Secretary Kennedy to regulate 7-OH, which is a synthetic drug marketed to children in convenience stores through deceptive packaging.”

Some have called 7-OH “gas station heroin” because it activates mu opioid receptors in the brain and therefore has potentially addictive qualities. But even kratom products that are not marketed as 7-OH can cause similar problems when taken in higher doses.

Kratom lobbyists are celebrating the proposed 7-OH ban.

“This action by the DEA should end the debate,” Mac Haddow, senior public policy researcher at the American Kratom Association, said in a press release. “Chemically manipulated 7-OH opioids are not kratom. They are dangerous products that exploited the reputation of natural kratom leaf, misled consumers, and created a public health threat that responsible regulators can no longer ignore.”

The 7-OH industry is fighting back, arguing there is no scientific basis for the ban, which would take effect after a 30-day public comment period.

“Hundreds of thousands of consumers are eager to share how 7-OH has helped them manage pain, return to work, care for their families and reclaim their lives,” said Jeff Smith, executive director of the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, a 7-OH advocacy group, in an emailed statement.