Overview
- Attorney General James Uthmeier signed an emergency rule on Monday that adds several 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) derivatives to Schedule I and makes their sale a felony.
- The rule bars more than 1 milligram per gram or per milliliter of listed 7‑OH chemicals and requires any detectable 7‑OH to be paired with at least 100 times more mitragynine by mass to block super‑concentrates.
- State health officials say medical examiners have linked at least 587 overdose deaths in Florida since 2013 to 7‑OH and related compounds, and poison control and hospital staff report hundreds of recent exposures including serious cases.
- Florida inspectors have already removed roughly 23,000 suspect packages from retail shelves after earlier actions, and the new rule lets authorities seize products, shut down sellers, and pursue up to 30 years in prison for violations.
- Kratom industry groups and some advocates warn the molecule‑by‑molecule ban leaves many powders, beverages, shots, and mixed products unregulated, prompting calls for a broader testing, labeling, age limits, and oversight framework.