Semi-Synthetic 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) Products

"To date, 7-hydroxymitragynine product marketing fails to distinguish itself from kratom. Kratom-naïve consumers purchasing 7-hydroxymitragynine products may erroneously believe that they are relatively safe ‘natural’ products similar or identical to kratom products that have been used in the United States for at least two decades. Consumers of these novel products are unwittingly exposing themselves to high-dose, MOR-binding formulations that have never undergone human or animal testing. Apart from toxicity risks from acute exposure, chronic 7-hydroxymitragynine product use could result in opioid-like physical dependence and possibly addiction. Scale and severity may be distinct from kratom leaf-based and extract products, which have not produced widespread severe addiction, but rather mild–moderate physical dependence [12-14].

"As forensic laboratories use mitragynine as a surrogate marker for kratom use, 7-hydroxymitragynine-related fatalities would incorrectly implicate kratom, as the presence of mitragynine in these products arises from incomplete conversion of mitragynine into 7-hydroxymitragynine [15]. Currently, 7-hydroxymitragynine products contain trace amounts of mitragynine and ‘new’ chemicals yet to be identified. The safety of these unknown chemicals, and of 7-hydroxymitragynine at high doses, has not been evaluated in living subjects. Accordingly, they pose an eminent public health concern until they have been identified and proven to be safe."