The Trump administration is trying to restrict access to a substance you might find at your local smoke shop. 

The FDA in late July announced plans to crack down on 7-OH. Commissioner Marty Makary described it as an opioid that can be more potent than morphine and the agency's pushing to get it classified as a Schedule 1 substance -- like ecstasy or heroin. 

You may not have heard of 7-OH, but you’ve probably heard of kratom. It’s the substance that 7-OH comes from – and it’s controversial in its own right.

Some states have banned kratom. The federal government tried to classify it as a Schedule 1 substance in 2016 but opted not to after getting a wave of pushback. 

This year Washington state regulators withdrew a proposal to designate kratom as a Schedule 1 substance, saying it didn’t meet the criteria. So for now, you can buy kratom products in the state. 

We wanted to know more about both kratom and 7-OH, so we checked in with a research professor at the University of Washington for insight. 

Guest:
Caleb Banta-Green, research professor at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research.

Related stories: 
FDA recommends concentrated Kratom be scheduled as illicit substance | The Hill
What to know about changes to kratom sold in Seattle | Axios Seattle
Kratom & 7-OH: What do we know about use, safety, and overdose risk? | Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (University of Washington)
What is 7-OH? Opioid-like product may get banned by FDA | USA TODAY

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

The Trump administration is trying to restrict access to a substance you might find at your local smoke shop.&nbsp;
The FDA in late July announced plans to crack down on 7-OH. Commissioner Marty Makary described it as an opioid that can be more potent than morphine and the agency's pushing to get it classified as a Schedule 1 substance -- like ecstasy or heroin.&nbsp;
You may not have heard of 7-OH, but you&rsquo;ve probably heard of kratom. It&rsquo;s the substance that 7-OH comes from &ndash; and it&rsquo;s controversial in its own right.
Some states have banned kratom. The federal government tried to classify it as a Schedule 1 substance in 2016 but opted not to after getting a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-hhs-kratom-978e5beb6e3067f6bcf1ee45ec16372a">wave of pushback</a>. This year Washington state regulators withdrew a proposal to designate <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/07/31/7oh-fda-kratom-seattle-stores">kratom as a Schedule 1 substance</a>, saying it didn&rsquo;t meet the criteria. So for now, you can buy kratom products in the state.&nbsp;
We wanted to know more about both kratom and 7-OH, so we checked in with a research professor at the University of Washington for insight.&nbsp;
Guest:
<ul>
<li>Caleb Banta-Green, research professor at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research.</li>
</ul>
Related stories:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5425792-trump-administration-recommends-7-oh-scheduling/">FDA recommends concentrated Kratom be scheduled as illicit substance | The Hill</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/07/31/7oh-fda-kratom-seattle-stores">What to know about changes to kratom sold in Seattle | Axios Seattle</a></li>
<li><a href="https://adai.uw.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Kratom-202404.pdf">Kratom &amp; 7-OH: What do we know about use, safety, and overdose risk? |&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&amp;&amp;p=fa2bc8f9251afbc5207c8a16d892487e3aff9acc82f6a3cb157990ea404f1f13JmltdHM9MTc1NTA0MzIwMA&amp;ptn=3&amp;ver=2&amp;hsh=4&amp;fclid=385f1fa4-c230-629c-17ad-0994c3f763e6&amp;psq=uw+adai&amp;u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9hZGFpLnV3LmVkdS8&amp;ntb=1">Addictions, Drug &amp; Alcohol Institute</a><a href="https://adai.uw.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Kratom-202404.pdf"> (University of Washington)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/07/30/7-oh-kratom-opioid-effects-ban-fda/85441198007/">What is 7-OH? Opioid-like product may get banned by FDA | USA TODAY</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes" data-stringify-link="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes" data-sk="tooltip_parent">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Soundside

The FDA in late July announced plans to crack down on 7-OH, which is naturally found in kratom. We wanted to know more about both of these substances, so we checked in with a research professor at the University of Washington for insight. 

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