FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida is cracking down on the sale of a product some have compared to legal morphine.
It’s called 7-OH. Experts say it could lead to death if abused. And until Wednesday, you could buy it at almost any smoke shop in the state.
“We are taking emergency action now because we see immediate danger,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said Wednesday, joined by state and federal leaders as he announced that it is now illegal to sell, possess, or distribute any form of 7-OH — or 7-hydroxymitragynine — in Florida.
“I am told by medical experts that it can be up to 13 times more potent than morphine,” Uthmeier added.
If you’ve never heard of it, experts say it’s essentially a synthetic opioid that partially stems from the kratom plant. Yet, until Wednesday, if you were 21 years old, you could walk into any smoke or vape shop and purchase it.
Brad Joyer, owner of The Honey Spot Smoke Shop in Fort Lauderdale, said he recently sold 7-OH at his store. But now, knowing the dangers the substance poses, he said he’s pulled it from his shelves.
“We have always had the approach that a little bit of regulation goes a long way,” Joyer said. “It can really keep everyone safe.”
With 7-OH described as highly addictive and carrying the possibility of overdose, officials with the Food and Drug Administration said the ban is their way of being proactive for public safety.
“Concentrated synthetic 7-OH may be the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. “I hope it is not, I hope we are wrong, but why not be proactive instead of reactive?”
Joyer said he will be disposing of all remaining 7-OH products now that he knows just how dangerous they are.
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