Story perspectives

DEA Temporarily Schedules Synthetic Opioids, Bans High-Purity Products

7/3/2026

Summary

DEA Schedules Opioids

The DEA issued a temporary Schedule I classification for synthetic 7-OH and related compounds.
The rule bans products with >0.050 % 7-OH by dry weight or >1 mg.
It also schedules synthetic MP, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16, none natural.
Filed July 1, the notice runs for two years, with a possible one-year extension.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called them dangerous opioids while the DEA said natural kratom below the threshold is exempt.

Summary

Trump Backs Kratom

President Donald Trump endorsed “natural 7-OH,” saying kratom could become an approved drug.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was photographed with Botanic Tonics founder JW Ross while DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin disclosed an investment of $1 million in the company.
After the Justice Department dropped its criminal case against Botanic Tonics in December, 7-OH gummies, drinks and capsules began selling in gas stations and convenience stores.

Summary

California Tightens Enforcement

California stepped up enforcement after Los Angeles County Public Health linked six fatal overdoses of 18- to 40-year-olds to synthetic 7-OH.
The advisory said alcohol and other drugs were present in many deaths, though the victims were otherwise healthy.
Officials said 7-OH is sold illegally as “plant alkaloids” in gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops, and that higher doses cause opioid-like respiratory depression, especially with alcohol.

History

Historical Context

After Purdue Pharma secured FDA approval for OxyContin in 1995, it marketed the 12-hour opioid as low-risk, driving prescriptions from roughly 670,000 in 1997 to 6.2 million by 2002 and fueling nationwide abuse. The DEA’s temporary Schedule I ban on the synthetic analog 7-OH echoes the early crackdown, illustrating how aggressive scheduling can reshape illicit opioid markets.

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DEA Schedules Opioids

The DEA issued a temporary Schedule I classification for synthetic 7-OH and related compounds.
The rule bans products with >0.050 % 7-OH by dry weight or >1 mg.
It also schedules synthetic MP, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16, none natural.
Filed July 1, the notice runs for two years, with a possible one-year extension.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called them dangerous opioids while the DEA said natural kratom below the threshold is exempt.

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