Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine last year wrote a letter to state Health Commissioner James McDonald about a “drug known as 7-OH … a synthetic compound that is made in a laboratory and is a concentrated version of a compound found in a low concentration” in a “leaf product called kratom … Both kratom and 7-OH are sold over the counter in smoke shops and gas stations throughout my county.”
“7-OH is known as ‘drug store’ heroin,” Romaine wrote. “Its full name is 7-hydroxymitragynine.
“It is available in our community in convenience stores, smoke shops and most gas stations,” he continued. “7-OH is sold in tangerine and berry flavored tabs, packaged like candy, and in 15 mg and 30 mg. tabs. They cost approximately 6 dollars and 19 dollars per pill, respectively.
“7-OH behaves in the body like an opiate,” the county executive wrote. “It results in rapid sinister physical dependence. … Users can get hooked” in “a little over a month. The withdrawal experience is severe and is prolonged.
“I am concerned with the availability of this unregulated drug increasing in our community,” Romaine continued. “Currently, 7-OH is banned in the state of Florida and the FDA is considering making it a Schedule I drug.
“The lack of awareness of what this is has provided a loophole for dangerous, legal opiate/opiate-like risk in our community. I would encourage your office to act quickly before it creates another public health crisis. We need to stay ahead of this.”
At the end of 2025 came an announcement from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office that “two pieces of landmark legislation to protect New Yorkers against the harmful effect of commercial herbal product known as kratom,” passed by the State Legislature, were signed by the governor.
“No parent in New York should have to endure the loss of a child to a substance simply because they didn’t know what it is,” Hochul said. “This legislation ensures transparency and strengthens our public health laws so that information about the ingredients and potential harmful risks associated with kratom are clear.”
Still, Assemblyman Peter Steck, of Schenectady, told me, “Much more regulation is needed. I am proud the governor signed my bill requiring warning labels on kratom products, and another restricting kratom sales to individuals under 21. These are important steps forward. However, much more regulation is needed to safeguard people from the dangers associated with kratom.
“I am currently working to pass legislation that would prohibit the sale of products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine — synthetic kratom — at levels exceeding 2 percent of total alkaloids, or one milligram per serving,” Steck said. “7-hydroxymitragynine acts like an opioid and can lead to addictive behaviors, which may result in serious consequences for users. I am working hard this session to get this measure passed to better protect New Yorkers.”
Steck added: “It is also important that there be stronger federal regulation so kratom can be properly evaluated and addressed at the national level, given its potential for abuse and lack of approved medical use.”
Another bill on kratom under consideration in the Legislature is a measure sponsored by Assemblyman Ed Ra, of Franklin Square, which, it declares, “establishes kratom … as a Schedule I controlled substance.” Such substances have a “high abuse risk” and “no safe accepted medical use.”
A tiny portion — less than 1 percent — of the kratom leaf contains natural 7-OH, but it can be and is being synthesized to a strength of many, many times its potency in the plant.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a report last July titled, “Preventing the Next Wave of the Opioid Epidemic: What You Need to Know About 7-OH.” It stated that 7-OH “is a powerful psychoactive compound that occurs naturally in very small amounts in the kratom plant.” But, as the heading of one page of the report said, “7-OH is Engineered to be Addictive. It is a Potent Opioid by Design.”
The report went on: “‘Enhanced’ or ‘spiked’ kratom products may appear to be natural leaf, but actually contain as much as 500% more 7-OH than would be expected naturally.”
Further: “7-OH is 13 [times] more potent than morphine.”
Much more, indeed, needs to be done — on both the state and national levels.
Karl Grossman has been an investigative reporter in a variety of media for more than 50 years. He is a professor of journalism at the State University of New York at Old Westbury.
