7-OH occurs naturally at low levels in the kratom plant, but the FDA is most concerned with products that contain 7-OH in oxidized extracts at high levels, which can be dangerous. In fact, the FDA refers to them as “novel potent opioid products.”

The FDA announced that it is urging the Drug Enforcement Agency to "classify 7-OH as a Schedule 1 substance, placing it on a list of drugs that include heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and ecstasy," said The Hill. This would make the drug harder to obtain at locations like gas stations and convenience stores.

"Let's not allow another wave of the opioid epidemic to catch us blindsided again," said the FDA Commissioner.