FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that his administration will classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I narcotic, making it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated forms of the substance in Kentucky.
“We have marked three straight years of declines in overdose deaths in Kentucky, and that is progress we’re committed to building on as we work to protect more lives in the fight against addiction,” said Gov. Beshear. “Deadly and addictive drugs like 7-OH have no place in our communities, and this step will help us get these drugs off the streets and provide us more tools to keep Kentuckians safe.”
The move comes as the state continues to see declines in overdose deaths for three consecutive years.
7-OH is a concentrated byproduct of the Kratom plant that has the potential for abuse because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors.
“When kratom is altered to create synthetic opioids, it becomes a threat to the public’s health,” said Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Dr. Steven Stack. “It puts people at risk and undermines the strides Kentucky has made in reducing the scourge of addiction.”
While 7-OH occurs naturally in the Kratom plant, it only appears in very small amounts. Products such as shots, powders or capsules can be sold over the counter containing concentrated, potentially dangerous amounts of the substance.
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services is updating regulations to classify isolated and concentrated forms of 7-OH as Schedule I substances – the same category as heroin, LSD and fentanyl analogs.
Once finalized, law enforcement and regulatory agencies can immediately begin removing these products from retail shelves statewide.
The announcement follows Beshear's emergency designation of bromazolam as a Schedule I controlled substance in August, which banned the drug from being sold in Kentucky.
