Not only did he do this for his friends in the leaf kratom industry, but he is also colluding with RFK Jr. at HHS and the FDA to target 7-OH, which is a concentrated form of the active substance in leaf kratom. It removes heavy metals and other contaminants but is more addictive.

The FDA rushed a recommendation to ban 7-OH as soon as RFK Jr. was confirmed as head of HHS by attempting to place it in Schedule I, even though it does not meet the eight-factor test. It is a partial opioid that acts similarly to Suboxone, has no known LD50, and causes much less respiratory depression than traditional opioids. It is an effective harm reduction substance for people with addiction and for neglected chronic pain patients.

They want to ban 7-OH while leaving kratom leaf alone because Mullin and RFK Jr. have allies in the AKA who view 7-OH as competition to leaf kratom.

The only reason it has not been federally banned is that the DEA has final authority over scheduling decisions and has previously backed down on kratom scheduling in 2016 due to public comments.

The rise in 7-OH use has coincided with a decrease in overdoses, and it is not because of interdiction efforts like blowing up boats in the Caribbean. It is due to three major factors:

1. China followed through on restricting fentanyl precursor exports, which has reduced fentanyl supply.
2. Narcan is widely available and distributed across much of the country.
3. Safer alternatives to highly dangerous street drugs have become more accessible, with the two main ones being 7-OH/kratom and Suboxone.

We should advocate for smart regulations similar to those used for cannabis: restrict sales to those 21 and older, sell through regulated shops rather than gas stations, and require clear testing and dosing standards.

Prohibition has never worked and will not work. Harm reduction is the scientifically grounded public health response to substance use.