Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced today that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has removed 17,311 packages of isolated and/or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) from retail locations in more than 20 Florida counties. This swift action comes after Commissioner Simpson joined Attorney General James Uthmeier for the recent announcement that isolated and/or concentrated 7-OH was being classified through an emergency rule as a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida.
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced today that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has removed 17,311 packages of isolated and/or concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) from retail locations in more than 20 Florida counties. This swift action comes after Commissioner Simpson joined Attorney General James Uthmeier for the recent announcement that isolated and/or concentrated 7-OH was being classified through an emergency rule as a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida.
“Since the emergency rule took effect, FDACS inspectors have been on the front lines working every day to get these dangerous, illegal products off the shelves. Over 17,000 packages containing 7-OH have already been pulled from stores across 23 counties, and our work is far from over,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “These ‘wellness’ products are nothing more than vape shop morphine, and we will continue using every tool at our disposal to educate and protect families, and make sure these products have no place in our communities.”
“The Trump administration sounded the alarm on the dangerous effects of 7-OH, and Commissioner Simpson is leading the way on enforcement,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “We are proud to provide FDACS inspectors the necessary tools to get this morphine-like drug off the shelves and out of reach of our kids.”
The emergency rule makes it illegal to sell, possess, or distribute 7-OH in concentrations of more than 400 parts per million (ppm) on a dry weight basis in the state. Schedule I classification places 7-OH in the same category as heroin, LSD, and fentanyl-related substances.
Since the rule was announced, FDACS inspectors have worked to identify, stop sale, and remove products containing illegal concentrated amounts of 7-OH from gas stations, vape shops, and convenience stores across Florida. These stop sale orders are in addition to FDACS’ inspections of Florida’s food establishments, such as grocery stores, convenience stores, coffee shops, bakeries, retail meat markets, seafood markets, food processing plants, and more.
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a naturally occurring chemical compound found at low concentrations in the kratom plant. In its natural state, kratom leaves contain very low levels of 7-OH. However, when the compound is isolated or concentrated, its potency dramatically increases. These 7-OH products, often marketed as “natural” or “wellness” supplements in the form of extracts, powders, capsules, or liquid “shots,” are frequently packaged to appeal to teens and young adults but can lead to addiction, overdose, and serious health effects.
In addition to removing dangerous 7-OH products, FDACS has also removed 197,303 packages of illegal hemp products in all 67 counties as part of “Operation Safe Summer.” Inspectors have removed products for violations of Florida’s child-protection standards for the packaging, labeling, and marketing of hemp products. Since July 1, 2023, the department has removed over 1.3 million packages of illegal hemp products from store shelves.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
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