FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2025
Contact: [email protected]
Industry Division is Prompting Sweeping Schedule I classification – HART calls for UNITY
Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) pushed back on Governor Mike DeWine’s call for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to immediately schedule all kratom compounds, including mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MP), as Schedule I controlled substances.
“HART strongly supports smart regulation of 7OH and Kratom to keep Ohio consumers safe, but ablanket Schedule I ban on all kratom compounds is reckless,” said Jeff Smith, National Policy Director for HART. “7-OH has shown unique therapeutic promise in managing pain. If Ohio chooses prohibition over regulation, it will shut down lifesaving research, push consumers toward the black market, and strip people of a safer alternative.”
After billions of safe servings, peer-reviewed studies, and real-world evidence, 7-OH shows tremendous promise to improve lives. HART urges regulators to uphold access with responsible oversight, not prohibition.
“The most disappointing thing about Ohio’s announcement is that it is totally avoidable. If everyone in the kratom industry would fight for consumer access, instead of fear-mongering to protect their own market share, then I’m confident we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” concluded Smith. “The FDA data is clear… there are zero confirmed deaths linked to 7-OH alone, and just 11 adverse events ever reported, even with over half a billion adult uses. If 7-OH were truly the threat being claimed, the data would show it. It doesn’t.”
A recent release from Shaman Botanicals laid out the astounding lack of data that surrounds recent pushes, like the one Ohio is now considering, to schedule 7-OH.
Experts previously cited by the FDA disagree with the agency’s recommendation to schedule 7-OH. They argue the position is not supported by the latest scientific evidence.
- No deaths or confirmed cases of respiratory depression have been linked to 7-OH. Researchers claim this is significant given millions of adults are estimated to have tried it.
- Researchers say that 7-OH has “no unreasonable risk of overdose deaths” based on reviews of nationwide databases. Poison control and toxicology centers across the U.S. confirm no evidence of widespread harm.
- Scientists confirm that 7-OH is a natural metabolite of kratom, not a synthetic substance. It is produced both by the plant itself and through metabolism in the human body.
HART will continue to work with regulators and elected officials to introduce comprehensive, science-based regulations covering both 7-OH and kratom. Ohio deserves both consumer access and consumer safety, and that comes from real regulatory oversight.