New from CEDEER: Kratom & 7-OH: What Do We Know Abuse Use, Safety, and Overdose Risk?
08/14/2025
Kratom is a plant from Southeast Asia. Two of its primary psychoactive components are mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), both of which have opioid-like properties.
Though it has been banned in several states, it remains legal in Washington State, where it can often be found for sale in gas stations or smoke shops.
The FDA recently recommended that products containing 7-OH be scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a step that would restrict access to them. Though kratom has potential therapeutic benefits, there are also safety concerns. More research is needed to better understand kratom’s effects.
Caleb Banta-Green, PhD, MPH, MSW, Director of the UW Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology & Research (CEDEER), recently spoke with KUOW (Seattle NPR affiliate) about what we currently know about kratom and 7-OH.
Additionally, Dr. Banta-Green and colleague Mandy Sladky, MSN, RN, CARN, recently published an updated research brief about kratom and 7-OH that provides information about its background, how commonly it is used, how often it is involved in overdose deaths, and the current evidence on risks and benefits.
