DEA Reevaluates Regulations on 7-OH and Other Kratom-Linked Opioids

The U.S. Department of Justice announced updates this Friday to its emergency classification actions concerning four opioid substances linked to kratom: 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15, and MGM-16.

The central initiative involves the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issuing two fresh Notices of Intent that incorporate updated scientific recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This aims to delineate more clearly between botanical products containing natural traces of these substances and those that are deliberately enriched or concentrated formulations.

The regulatory status of each substance differs, a critical distinction for understanding the true scope of the announcement.

DEA's Continued Oversight on MGM-15 and MGM-16

For MGM-15 and MGM-16, the DEA simply reissues the Notice of Intent without altering the existing classification strategy. These substances, along with MGPI, were temporarily placed under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act as of August 26, 2026. These controls remain effective during the new 30-day notice period until the DEA issues a new temporary order.

7-OH: A Different Regulatory Path

For 7-OH, the scenario is distinct: the DEA had not previously issued any temporary classification order for it. The new Notice of Intent incorporates the current scientific recommendation from HHS but does not equate to an existing ban.

HHS recommended that 7-OH and MGPI be subjected to Schedule I control when either substance, or their combined quantity, exceeds 1 milligram per gram in solid products or 1 milligram per milliliter in liquid products. The control would also activate when the ratio of mitragynine to 7-OH, MGPI, or their combined quantity is less than 100 to 1.

According to the official statement, HHS established these thresholds to "better distinguish products intentionally enriched or concentrated with these opioid substances from those whose alkaloid composition is more consistent with botanical kratom."

The Scientific Context and Public Health Concerns

HHS analysis confirms that 7-OH naturally occurs in botanical kratom at relatively low levels. Regarding MGPI, the agency identified additional scientific evidence suggesting it may also be present in trace amounts in some botanical products or kratom derivatives, although it acknowledged that "science on MGPI's presence is still evolving."

This implies that the absence of regulation on a product does not guarantee its safety: the thresholds determine when federal regulation is activated, not when a substance ceases to pose a health risk.

Attorney General Todd Blanche was forthright in justifying the measures: "Dangerous, addictive opioids do not belong behind convenience store counters. Our children and communities deserve protection from harmful substances like 7-OH and other potent synthetic drugs."

The announcement comes amid mounting pressure from Congress. Just two days prior, Republican Senators Chuck Grassley, Mike Lee, and Susan Collins sent a letter to DEA Administrator Terrance Cole and Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, urging the Trump administration to finalize the emergency order for 7-OH and consider the permanent classification of harmful kratom substances.

Public health data supports the regulatory urgency: according to U.S. poison control centers, exposure reports for 7-OH rose from 593 cases in 2025 to 901 cases in the first half of 2026 alone, with a monthly average 102% higher than the second half of the previous year.

Meanwhile, the American Kratom Association continues to pursue a federal lawsuit filed in August 2026 to prevent the order on MGPI from applying to botanical kratom containing only incidental traces of that substance, indicating that the regulatory debate is far from over with the notices issued this Friday.