Frequently Asked

7-Hydroxymitragynine is an indole alkaloid produced in trace quantities in the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) and generated by oxidation of mitragynine, the plant's most abundant alkaloid. It is a partial agonist at the μ-opioid receptor and is roughly 46 times more potent than mitragynine and 13 times more potent than morphine at that receptor. Natural kratom leaf contains approximately 0.01–2% 7-OH by alkaloid mass; commercial concentrated and semi-synthetic preparations raise that fraction dramatically.

"7-OH" is shorthand for 7-hydroxymitragynine, referencing the hydroxyl (–OH) group at position 7 of the mitragynine scaffold. Industry and consumer materials also use the abbreviations "7-hydroxy" and "7-HMG" interchangeably. The unabbreviated scientific name is the version used in regulatory documents and research papers.

Both. 7-hydroxymitragynine occurs naturally in kratom leaf at low concentrations, and it is also produced commercially by semi-synthetic oxidation of mitragynine isolated from the plant. Most tablets, gummies, and shots sold in U.S. retail contain semi-synthetic 7-OH isolate at concentrations far above what the leaf produces naturally. Several state laws distinguish between natural-leaf products and synthetic or semi-synthetic concentrates.

Kratom is the plant (Mitragyna speciosa) and its dried leaf, which contains more than 40 alkaloids dominated by mitragynine. 7-OH is a single alkaloid that occurs in trace amounts in the leaf and at elevated concentrations in extracts and semi-synthetic products. Traditional kratom tea and leaf powder produce different effect and risk profiles than concentrated 7-OH tablets or shots, even though both ultimately act on the μ-opioid receptor.

Mitragynine is the most abundant alkaloid in kratom (roughly 66% of total alkaloid content), while 7-hydroxymitragynine is a minor metabolite present in trace amounts. 7-OH is approximately 46 times more potent than mitragynine at the μ-opioid receptor, which is why concentrated 7-OH products produce effects at much lower doses than raw leaf. Mitragynine is converted to 7-OH both in the liver and during commercial manufacturing.

Yes, functionally. 7-hydroxymitragynine is a partial agonist at the μ-opioid receptor — the same receptor targeted by morphine, fentanyl, heroin, and buprenorphine. Chemically it is an indole alkaloid rather than a classical morphinan opioid, but by mechanism of action and by clinical behavior it belongs to the opioid pharmacological class.

7-hydroxymitragynine crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds to μ-opioid receptors in the central nervous system, producing analgesia, sedation, and at higher doses euphoria. As a partial agonist, it activates the receptor to a sub-maximal level even at full occupancy, which produces a ceiling on both analgesia and respiratory depression. The drug is metabolized in the liver, primarily by glucuronidation, and has a relatively short half-life compared with classical long-acting opioids.

At the μ-opioid receptor, 7-hydroxymitragynine has roughly 13 times the binding affinity of morphine. Potency at the receptor does not equal equivalent clinical effect at the same dose, because 7-OH is a partial agonist while morphine is a full agonist. In practice, concentrated 7-OH products produce measurable opioid-like effects at doses in the single-digit milligrams, versus tens of milligrams for morphine.

Duration depends on product form and dose, but typically spans 3–6 hours. Sublingual shots and chewables produce faster onset (10–20 minutes) and shorter duration (3–5 hours) than swallowed tablets (20–45 minutes onset, 4–6 hours duration). Chronic high-dose users often report increasingly brief duration as tolerance develops, which drives redosing and is a marker of developing dependence.

Yes. 7-hydroxymitragynine is a partial agonist at the μ-opioid receptor, meaning it activates the receptor to a sub-maximal level even at 100% occupancy. Partial agonism produces a ceiling effect on respiratory depression that full agonists like fentanyl and morphine do not have. The ceiling reduces but does not eliminate overdose risk — particularly when 7-OH is combined with alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other CNS depressants, which remove the protection.

Common acute side effects include nausea, constipation, dizziness, sedation, dry mouth, sweating, and pupillary constriction — effects consistent with μ-opioid receptor activation. At higher doses, effects extend to significant cognitive and motor impairment. Chronic use is associated with tolerance, dependence, and — on discontinuation — an opioid-style withdrawal syndrome.

Yes, though the ceiling effect from partial agonism makes fatal respiratory depression less likely than with full-agonist opioids like fentanyl or morphine. The protection is not absolute — respiratory depression has been reported in cases involving very high 7-OH doses, particularly in combination with other CNS depressants such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, or gabapentinoids. Naloxone effectively reverses 7-OH-induced respiratory depression.

Acute 7-hydroxymitragynine overdose presents with pinpoint pupils, profound sedation, slowed or irregular breathing, and in severe cases loss of consciousness and respiratory arrest. Treat it as an opioid overdose: call 911, administer naloxone if available, position the person on their side, and support breathing until emergency services arrive. California's Department of Public Health has attributed at least six fatal overdoses since April 2025 to 7-OH-containing products.

Yes. Naloxone (Narcan) is a μ-opioid receptor antagonist and will reverse the respiratory and sedative effects of 7-hydroxymitragynine, because 7-OH acts at the same receptor. Naloxone has a shorter half-life than 7-OH, so a single dose may wear off before the 7-OH does — emergency medical care should always follow a naloxone reversal, and repeat dosing may be required.

No. Combining 7-hydroxymitragynine with alcohol, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, GHB, or other sedatives removes the ceiling protection that partial agonism provides and substantially raises the risk of fatal respiratory depression. Poly-substance use is implicated in most reported 7-OH-related deaths. The combination with other opioids (including prescribed opioid pain medication) is equally dangerous.

No controlled safety data exists for 7-hydroxymitragynine use in pregnancy, and public health authorities strongly advise against it. Opioid use during pregnancy is associated with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and other fetal risks; because 7-OH acts on the same receptor system, the same class of risks applies. Anyone who is pregnant or trying to conceive should speak with an obstetrician about any kratom or 7-OH use before continuing.

Yes. Regular use of 7-hydroxymitragynine produces physical dependence and can develop into a substance use disorder consistent with its activity at the μ-opioid receptor. Dependence is more likely with higher doses, daily use, and longer duration of use. Daily 7-OH users commonly report escalating doses, difficulty stopping, and opioid-style withdrawal on cessation.

7-hydroxymitragynine withdrawal closely resembles classical opioid withdrawal: muscle aches, gastrointestinal distress, nausea, sweating, runny nose, goosebumps, restless legs, anxiety, insomnia, and strong cravings. The severity correlates with dose and duration of use; heavy daily users typically experience more severe withdrawal than intermittent users. Protracted symptoms (post-acute withdrawal syndrome) — mood instability, insomnia, anhedonia — can persist weeks to months.

Acute withdrawal typically begins within 12–24 hours of the last dose, peaks at 48–72 hours, and resolves within 5–10 days. Protracted post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) — characterized by mood instability, insomnia, and persistent cravings — can continue for weeks to months after the acute phase ends. The timeline parallels classical short-acting opioid withdrawal more closely than long-acting methadone or buprenorphine withdrawal.

Yes, rapidly. Daily 7-hydroxymitragynine users typically notice reduced effects within days to weeks and raise their dose to compensate. Tolerance develops in parallel with physical dependence and reflects neuroadaptation at the μ-opioid receptor. Users who have taken 7-OH daily for months often report needing many times their original dose to achieve the same effect — a pattern that raises both adverse-effect and dependence risks.

As of April 2026, 7-hydroxymitragynine is not scheduled under the federal Controlled Substances Act. In July 2025 the FDA and HHS publicly recommended that the DEA schedule 7-OH as a Schedule I substance; the DEA had not finalized that action by April 2026. State laws operate in parallel and many states have already restricted or banned 7-OH independently.

As of April 2026, 7-hydroxymitragynine is banned or severely restricted in roughly a dozen states — including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio (emergency rule), Rhode Island (transitioning to regulation), Vermont, Wisconsin, and Florida (emergency rule on concentrated 7-OH). Another dozen states regulate 7-OH under Kratom Consumer Protection Act frameworks with age limits and potency caps. The tracker at /legal is updated as laws change.

The Kratom Consumer Protection Act is a model regulatory framework for kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine products, promoted primarily by the American Kratom Association. KCPA provisions typically include a minimum age of 18 or 21, labeling and testing requirements, prohibition of synthetic alkaloids, and a cap on 7-OH concentration — most commonly 2% of total alkaloid content. Versions have been adopted by Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and others, with variations in specific requirements.

Possession of 7-hydroxymitragynine remains illegal in states that have banned or severely restricted it, regardless of where the product was purchased. Shipping 7-OH into a banned state can trigger enforcement against both the purchaser and the retailer. In regulated states, compliance with potency caps, age verification, and labeling rules applies to the product at the point of sale, not where it shipped from.

In states where 7-hydroxymitragynine is legal, 7-OH products are sold at smoke shops, kratom specialty stores, gas stations, and through brand websites and online marketplaces. Availability varies by state and municipality — local city and county ordinances can restrict sales even when state law permits them. Verify the legal status in your state before buying.

Require a recent Certificate of Analysis from an accredited third-party laboratory and match the COA's batch or lot number to the product in your hand. Independent audits in states with potency caps have repeatedly found products on retail shelves with 7-OH content many times the legal limit. Brands that refuse to provide a batch-matched COA, publish only old or unlabeled lab reports, or list alkaloid ranges rather than exact values should be treated as unverified.

A Certificate of Analysis is a document from an independent laboratory reporting the quantified results of testing a specific product batch. For 7-OH products, a reputable COA reports mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine content by weight, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), microbial load, and residual solvents. The COA should be dated, name an accredited lab, and reference the batch or lot number printed on the product.

7-OH is sold as tablets, gummies, sublingual shots (liquid), chewables, extract powders, and tinctures. Shots and chewables typically have the fastest onset (10–20 minutes) and the highest per-serving peak exposure; tablets are the most common retail format. Each format produces different absorption kinetics — sublingual and buccal routes bypass first-pass hepatic metabolism and raise effective dose compared with swallowed preparations.

The "2% cap" refers to a common state regulatory threshold: 7-hydroxymitragynine may not exceed 2% of the product's total alkaloid content. A compliant product will show a COA where measured 7-OH divided by total alkaloids is less than or equal to 2%. Oklahoma uses a stricter 1% cap; independent audits have found shelf products at 80–96% 7-OH content, far above any cap.

Red flags include: no Certificate of Analysis available, COA not matched to the specific product batch, lab reports that only list alkaloid ranges rather than exact percentages, packaging without manufacturer or facility information, marketing claims about therapeutic effects, packaging designed to look like candy or to appeal to children, and sale at retailers cited in state compliance actions. A product sold below the market rate by a wide margin also deserves scrutiny.