TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has enacted an emergency directive to classify a specific drug as a Schedule I controlled substance, as announced by his office on Wednesday.

The official statement indicated that the new regulation prohibits the sale, possession, or distribution of any form of the drug, identified as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), whether isolated or concentrated.

“Due to the risk it poses to the public, Florida is removing 7-OH from circulation immediately,” Uthmeier stated. “This hazardous substance is being targeted at teens and young adults and has a high potential for abuse and fatality.”

According to the FDA, 7-OH is a component derived from the kratom plant, which has been utilized for treating ailments like headaches, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Nevertheless, it has been used for recreational purposes to achieve euphoria, raising concerns among regulatory bodies about the potential for misuse. FDA authorities have also emphasized that the agency has not sanctioned any drug formulations, either prescription or over-the-counter, that include kratom or 7-OH.

Although 7-OH is naturally present in minimal amounts within kratom, it has been concentrated into products such as pills, gummies, drink formulas, and shots, which FDA representatives suggest could be hazardous.

This caused the FDA to begin targeting 7-OH opioid products last month, as officials said that consumers have been able to buy products with concentrated levels of 7-OH online and through gas stations, corner stores, and vape shops.

“Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said. “7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine. We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.”

On Wednesday, Florida state officials wrote that there has been a recent increase in emergency room visits and adverse health incidents linked to kratom, especially among people under 25 years of age.

Thanks to the emergency order, Florida law now throws products with 7-OH in the same category as heroin, LSD, and fentanyl analogs — “substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use,” the release says.

As such, state officials said that the order empowers law enforcement and other regulatory agencies to start removing these products from retailers across the state.