Kratom and 7-OH Are Different Beasts, and Lawmakers Made a Hasty Decision
Connecticut’s decision to move forward with scheduling raw kratom leaf as a controlled substance amounts to throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The state is conflating natural kratom (used by many to avoid opioids) with 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — a much more dangerous synthetic or concentrated derivative. That conflation is wildly irresponsible, and I fear it will lead
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CT CannaTimes - October 16th, 2025
Connecticut’s decision to move forward with scheduling raw kratom leaf as a controlled substance amounts to throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The state is conflating natural kratom (used by many to avoid opioids) with 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — a much more dangerous synthetic or concentrated derivative. That conflation is wildly irresponsible, and I fear it will lead to a spike in opioid overdose deaths as people who rely on kratom are pushed back to street drugs.
The Difference Is Night and Day
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a plant native to Southeast Asia, containing dozens of alkaloids. The two most discussed are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Natural kratom leaf contains only trace amounts of 7-OH — typically well under 0.05 % of total alkaloids. Most of its effects come from mitragynine, which acts as a partial opioid receptor agonist — giving mild pain relief, mood lift, and withdrawal support without the respiratory suppression, euphoria, or overdose risk of full opioids.
By contrast, 7-OH, especially in isolated or concentrated form, is far more potent and carries real risk of addiction, sedation, and respiratory depression. This is the kind of substance that should be regulated, banned, or controlled — not the natural leaf that people have used for generations.
Yet Connecticut’s HB 6855 (now Public Act 25-101) sweeps them all together, classifying kratom’s leaves, stems, and extracts as subject to scheduling by the Department of Consumer Protection — with no legal distinction between raw leaf and isolated synthetic derivatives.
Source: https://www.newstimes.com/opinion/article/kratom-ct-bill-lamont-20383584.php
As one CT Mirror opinion put it: “legislation needs to draw that clear distinction to avoid ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’ — which unfortunately is the case with this bill here in Connecticut.”
Source: https://ctmirror.org/2025/06/16/hb-6855s-approach-to-kratom-does-not-serve-connecticut-residents/
The Timing and Consequences
The ban (or scheduling) is being pushed hard. While I believe reports that it went into effect October 15th are circulating, official sources suggest that the DCP is now empowered to begin scheduling operations immediately. Some vendors and users believe enforcement will follow swiftly.
If that enforcement is real, it means that people who have been relying on kratom daily to stay off opioids may suddenly lose safe access. When harm-reduction tools vanish, relapse and overdose often rise. That is not speculation — that is history.
Rhode Island’s Lesson: Ban, Then Unban
Rhode Island banned kratom in 2017. Advocates fought back, and in 2023 the state passed legislation to remove kratom from the list of controlled substances and instead regulate it under a Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA).
Source: https://stateline.org/2025/08/11/kratom-faces-increasing-scrutiny-from-states-and-the-feds/
Source: https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/05/29/kratom-regulation-bill-clears-rhode-island-house/
Under Rhode Island’s updated law, kratom products will be regulated (with labeling, purity standards, and age restrictions), rather than criminalized wholesale.
Source: https://legiscan.com/RI/bill/H5330/2023
Source: https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText24/HouseText24/H7231A.htm
Rhode Island recognized that banning kratom entirely did more harm than good — driving users underground and turning a safety tool into a criminal risk. Connecticut ignored that lesson.
A Grave Mistake, With Lives Hanging in the Balance
By scheduling all forms of kratom as if they are identical to synthetic 7-OH, Connecticut lawmakers are punishing safe users, chronic pain patients, and people in recovery — while doing little to stop the truly dangerous derivatives already sold in “gas station heroin” products.
Source: https://www.newstimes.com/opinion/article/kratom-ct-bill-lamont-20383584.php
Source: https://ctinsider.org/opinion/2025/kt-gas-station-heroin/
This decision is hasty, unscientific, and cruel. It sends people who had stability right back toward fentanyl, heroin, or prescription pills. I expect a painful spike in overdose deaths as people lose access to what kept them alive.
If lawmakers truly want public safety, they must distinguish natural kratom leaf from 7-OH, ban the dangerous synthetic enhancements, enforce testing, labeling, and age limits — and preserve safe access for those who depend on it. Anything less is not policy — it’s punishment.
Sources
- https://ctmirror.org/2025/06/16/hb-6855s-approach-to-kratom-does-not-serve-connecticut-residents/
This story was originally published by Connecticut CannaTimes on Facebook on October 16, 2025 and was migrated to this website on October 16, 2026. The publication date above is the original date.