Missouri’s action against synthetic 7-OH manufacturers aligns with FDA’s call for DEA scheduling — protecting consumers while preserving access to natural botanical kratom.
WASHINGTON, DC, April 01, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Botanicals for Better Health and Wellness (BBHW), a leading botanical wellness and public health organization, today commended Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway for taking decisive action against manufacturers and retailers engaged in the deceptive marketing and unlawful sale of the synthetic drug 7-hydroxymitragynine — known as 7-OH. Attorney General Hanaway made it clear that the focus of the lawsuit is on the lab-made drug 7-OH, not natural kratom.Attorney General Hanaway issued Civil Investigation Demands (CIDs) against CBD American Shaman and connected companies over the manufacture, distribution, and retail sale of 7-OH products, alleging the company markets products without the safety testing and regulatory approvals required by state and federal law. AG Hanaway also issued CIDs against companies distributing and selling 7-OH. BBHW applauds these actions as a model for how law enforcement should approach the growing problem of dangerous lab-made drugs being sold to unsuspecting consumers as safe, natural products.
“The Missouri Attorney General is doing exactly what consumer protection demands — holding bad actors accountable for marketing dangerous lab-made drugs without proper safety testing, regulatory approval, or honest labeling,” said Meghan DiMuzio, Vice President of Communications and Government Affairs at BBHW. “This is the kind of enforcement action that protects consumers and distinguishes responsible botanical wellness companies from those willing to put profit above public safety.”
BBHW has long maintained what the FDA’s own research increasingly supports: synthetic and highly concentrated 7-OH is a dangerous lab-made drug that bears no meaningful resemblance to the natural botanical kratom. The FDA reports that it is three times more likely that 7-OH will result in respiratory depression compared to morphine — a risk profile that is categorically different from that of the natural kratom.
The FDA’s own pilot study on natural botanical kratom tells a very different story about the botanical. The study concluded that “at the doses tested, using the specific botanical kratom sourced for the study, and under carefully controlled clinical conditions, kratom was well tolerated.” No serious adverse events were observed across the entire study — a finding that stands in sharp contrast to the documented risks of lab-made synthetic 7-OH. In 2025, the FDA recommended that the DEA place 7-hydroxymitragynine — but not the botanical kratom — on its list of Schedule I controlled substances, drawing precisely the distinction that enforcement actions like Missouri’s should reflect.
The distinction matters. Enforcement actions and regulatory frameworks that target dangerous lab-made 7-OH while preserving responsible adult access to natural botanical kratom reflect the science. Blanket approaches that treat the two as equivalent do not.
BBHW calls on attorneys general and law enforcement agencies across the country to follow Missouri’s lead in pursuing manufacturers and retailers who sell dangerous lab-made drugs without proper safety testing, regulatory approval, or honest consumer disclosure. The companies profiting from the deceptive marketing of synthetic 7-OH are the problem. Responsible botanical wellness companies committed to science, safety, and transparency are the solution.
“The FDA’s own research makes clear that natural botanical kratom and lab-made synthetic 7-OH are not the same substance and should not be treated as such,” said DiMuzio. “We welcome enforcement that targets the real threat — and we will continue to advocate for regulatory frameworks grounded in science that protect consumers without eliminating responsible adult access to natural botanical products.”
About Botanicals for Better Health and Wellness (BBHW)
Botanicals for Better Health and Wellness (BBHW) is a national trade organization formed to support the development of robust regulatory frameworks governing botanical products in the United States. For more information, visit www.bbhw.org.
Media Contact
Press Team
paloma@bbhwco.com
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