7-hydroxymitragynine, usually shortened to 7-OH, is an alkaloid that occurs naturally in the leaf of Mitragyna speciosa, the tree kratom comes from. In a leaf it shows up in trace amounts. Most of what is sold under the name 7-OH in gas stations, smoke shops and online is a different thing: a concentrated or semi-synthetic product built to contain far more of it than any leaf does.
Those two things share a word and almost nothing else. That distinction is what this page is about, and it is also the line the federal government drew this year.
What Is 7-Hydroxymitragynine?
7-OH is one of dozens of alkaloids in the kratom leaf, and it is a minor one. The dominant alkaloid in the plant is mitragynine.
The FDA describes 7-OH as a naturally occurring alkaloid in the kratom plant, but a minor constituent making up less than 2 percent of the total alkaloid content in natural kratom leaves. The same agency states that 7-OH shows substantially greater mu-opioid receptor potency than mitragynine, and than classical opioids including morphine.
That is the FDA’s characterization and we are repeating it rather than interpreting it. We serve drinks. We are not the people to tell you what any compound does in a person, and anyone behind a counter who offers to is guessing.
Is 7-OH Natural or Semi-Synthetic?
Both answers are correct, and which one applies depends entirely on what you are holding.
In leaf, 7-OH is natural and present in trace amounts. It forms in the plant, and small quantities can also form as mitragynine oxidizes during drying and storage. Nobody makes it on purpose in that scenario, and there is not much of it.
In a tablet, shot, gummy or dissolvable strip sold as 7-OH, the compound has been concentrated or produced by chemically converting mitragynine. That is a manufacturing step, not a harvest. It is why the DEA calls these products semi-synthetic, and why its laboratory findings note that commercial products often contain higher amounts of 7-OH than what is found in naturally occurring botanical kratom.
A useful way to hold it: 7-OH in a leaf is a trace alkaloid. 7-OH on a label is a product decision.
What the Federal Threshold Actually Covers
The federal action draws its line by concentration, not by plant. That is the single most important thing to understand about it.
On July 1, 2026, the DEA filed two notices of intent to temporarily place 7-OH and three related substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Both were published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2026. The thresholds named in the notice are:
- Botanical material from Mitragyna speciosa containing more than 0.050 percent 7-OH on a dry weight basis
- Synthetic material containing more than 0.050 percent 7-OH by weight or volume, or more than 1.00 milligram of 7-OH in the article
- Material derived from the plant and further processed into extracts, concentrates, processed edibles or pressed pills that exceeds those same thresholds
The DEA has stated plainly that the action does not apply to botanical kratom products containing naturally occurring 7-OH below the specified threshold, and that it targets synthesized products and elevated concentrations. The FDA has said its own actions are not intended to apply to natural kratom leaf carrying only naturally occurring trace levels.
Two pieces have moved at different speeds. On August 26, 2026, the DEA issued a temporary order placing the three related substances (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16) in Schedule I, effective that day. The 7-OH threshold order itself has not been issued as of the review date below, and the HHS comment period on the proposed threshold ran to September 10, 2026.
State law is a separate matter and in several states it is stricter than the federal proposal. We will cover legality state by state in its own posts.
Last reviewed: September 12, 2026.
Sources: DEA press release, July 1, 2026 · Federal Register notice of intent · HHS request for information on the threshold · FDA and Kratom · FDA, Hiding in Plain Sight: 7-OH Products
What the Gas Station Products Actually Are
The tablets, shots, vapes, gummies and strips sold near a register are concentrated or semi-synthetic 7-OH products, and many of them are marketed with the word kratom on the front.
The FDA has described these products as appearing in forms including candies, gummies and other everyday treats, and has warned that enhanced or spiked kratom products can look like natural leaf while carrying far more 7-OH than a leaf would. The DEA’s own description of the market names powders, tablets, capsules, gummies and dissolvable strips sold online and in gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops.
The practical problem for a customer is that the front of the package is not where the answer lives. Words like enhanced, extra strength, fortified and ultra are marketing terms with no fixed meaning. A product can carry all four and be a pressed pill of concentrated alkaloid, and a plain bag of ground leaf can carry none of them.
We do not name brands and we are not going to. The category is the point, not a defendant.
What Kavasutra Serves
We serve kratom as leaf, prepared in house, and as leaf-based products on the tea menu. We do not sell 7-OH tablets, shots or any of the semi-synthetic derivatives named in the DEA order.
Our menu sits on two sides, and it is worth knowing which is which. Brewed kratom leaf is our Brewed Tea, made here, served hot from the kettle or cold and flavored, in eight, sixteen or thirty-two ounces. Leaf extract covers items like #Boom, Shane’s Addiction, Stinger, the Stinger Can and Tea Drop. A couple of items are genuinely both: Red Top is kratom tea and leaf extract, and it is the one on the menu with caffeine added.
The tea menu is 21 and up in Florida and Colorado and 18 and up in Arizona, where state law sets a different age. Denver does not serve kratom at all. Nothing on this website sells or ships kratom. Everything on the tea menu is served in the bar.
If you want the full list of what we pour and in what size, that is the tea menu.
How to Tell What You Are Actually Drinking
Read the panel on the back, not the claim on the front. Four things are worth checking, in this order.
- Does the label state 7-OH in milligrams per serving? A product that lists a milligram figure for 7-OH is telling you it was formulated to contain it. That is a concentrate, whatever the front of the box says.
- What form is it? Ground leaf, crushed leaf and brewed tea are the plant. Pressed pills, shots, gummies and strips are dosage forms that required processing to exist.
- What does the ingredient line actually name? Leaf, extract and isolated alkaloid are three different statements. Vague phrasing like proprietary blend is not one of them.
- Can a person answer your question? At a bar you can ask. At a counter display you usually cannot. That gap is most of the difference between the two markets.
First kratom? The small Brewed Tea, eight ounces. Tolerance starts low and there is no reason to start high. Know what you are doing? Ask whoever is pouring what is on the leaf side and what is on the extract side that day, and they will walk you through it.
New to any of this and not sure what walking in looks like? Start with your first visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7-OH the same thing as kratom?
No. Kratom is the leaf of Mitragyna speciosa. 7-OH is one alkaloid found in that leaf in trace amounts, and products sold under the name 7-OH are concentrated or semi-synthetic versions of that single compound rather than the plant.
Is 7-hydroxymitragynine natural?
It occurs naturally in kratom leaf, and the FDA describes it as a minor constituent making up less than 2 percent of the total alkaloid content of natural leaves. The 7-OH sold as tablets, shots and gummies is concentrated or produced by chemically converting mitragynine, which is a manufacturing step rather than something that happens in the plant.
Is 7-OH legal?
The federal picture is unsettled and the line is drawn by concentration, not by plant. The DEA filed notices of intent on July 1, 2026 to place 7-OH above a specified threshold in Schedule I, and issued an order covering three related substances on August 26, 2026. The threshold order itself had not been issued as of the review date on this page. State law varies and in several states it is stricter. Check current federal and state law before relying on anything here.
Does Kavasutra sell 7-OH?
No. We serve kratom as leaf, brewed in house, and leaf-based products on the tea menu. We do not carry 7-OH tablets, shots, gummies or the semi-synthetic derivatives named in the DEA order.
How do I know what is actually in my kratom?
Read the back panel rather than the front. A milligram figure for 7-OH per serving means the product was formulated to contain it. Check the form as well, since ground leaf, crushed leaf and brewed tea are the plant while pressed pills, shots and strips are processed dosage forms. And ask the person serving it, which is a question a bar can answer and a shelf display cannot.