7-HOPE Alliance respectfully disagrees with the federal announcement, citing scientific evidence and consumer experience.
Los Angeles – July 29, 2025 — 7-HOPE Alliance (“7-HOPE”), a trailblazing nonprofit coalition dedicated to protecting legal access to 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), released a statement following the announcement earlier today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration regarding actions against 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
“We are deeply disappointed by today’s announcement. This decision reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the science and the lived experience of over one million Americans,” said Jackie Subeck, Founder of 7-HOPE Alliance. “What we witnessed today was not a science-based public health decision but what appears to be a successful win for kratom industry groups that stand to profit from prohibition and fear. We want to be clear: we do not blame the agencies involved. We believe they were acting with the information they had; however, we also believe that the reality of the science is much different than what was presented and would welcome the opportunity to engage in a meaningful, science-based conversation to clarify what 7-OH is – and what it isn’t.”
7-HOPE Alliance has watched as certain kratom industry players and trade organizations have continued to use misinformation to create a “manufactured crisis” that the federal government has just acted on today – when in reality, there is no crisis. Nonetheless, these lies appeared in today’s hearing, including:
LIE: 7-OH is a full opioid agonist
PROOF: The scientific consensus is that 7-OH is a partial mu opioid agonist. Multiple peer-reviewed primary research studies, the sole continuing education course on 7-OH from a leading university, and the World Health Organization conclude that 7-OH is a partial agonist at the mu-opioid receptor, debunking its association with fentanyl and other deadly opioids. Link to position paper with sources.
LIE: People are dying from 7-OH
PROOF: This claim is unequivocally false. In fact, in the Federal Adverse Event Reporting Database (FAERS), there are only five entries in the three years since its market entrance. More than 500 million 7-OH servings have been sold into the marketplace, consumed by over one million consumers to date according to third-party consumer survey data, with virtually no adverse events reported. There is no crisis. No clusters of overdoses. No headlines of mysterious deaths.
These points make clear that some regulators have been fed misinformation that they are acting on, which must be addressed in the days ahead.
“As a neuroscientist, I am appalled that a substance with clear harm reduction potential is being targeted without regard for the actual evidence,” said Dr. Michele Ross, 7-HOPE’s scientific advisor. “7-OH is not fentanyl. It is not heroin. It’s a partial opioid receptor agonist – meaning it offers relief without triggering the deadly side effects associated with traditional opioids. This move will push people back toward more dangerous substances, and that will cost lives.”
For individuals like Jacey Blaylock, today’s decision is more than political; it’s personal. Jacey is a mother, car accident survivor, and grassroots advocate in Oklahoma who credits 7-OH with saving her life.
“My name is Jacey Blaylock, I’m a survivor of a horrific car accident that was not my fault. That accident took away pieces of me that I will never get back. I live with chronic pain, PTSD, major depressive disorder, degenerative joint disease, and anxiety. For years, I was handed pills that numbed me and made my life worse – prescriptions that could have easily killed me. It wasn’t until I found kratom, specifically its alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine, that I was finally able to start living again.”
Blaylock added, “If you ban 7-OH nationwide, you will be sentencing countless Americans like myself to suffering. You will push people back into the arms of dangerous prescriptions, risky black market alternatives, or into utter despair. Many won’t just suffer, they will die! We already saw this happen during the opioid epidemic. Let’s not repeat that mistake.”
Today’s announcement also raises urgent concerns about public health consequences. As recently as 2021, HHS itself acknowledged that banning kratom and its components like 7-OH could trigger “immediate adverse public health consequences for potentially millions of users.”
7-HOPE Alliance has been working closely with leading researchers to develop comprehensive safety studies, including maximum tolerated dose, liver toxicity, metabolic stability, and more. Preclinical studies are currently underway and human studies are being planned.
This marks a disturbing revival of War on Drugs-era policymaking—reactionary, fear-based, and disproportionately harmful. The same regulatory voices that have been pushing to criminalize hemp products across the country are now coming for 7-OH, ignoring emerging science and the voices of patients who rely on this compound every day to survive.
“We support reasonable regulation and will do the work to make that happen, but we are absolutely against rushed, misinformed decisions that ignore real data,” said Subeck. “We urge the agencies to reconsider, consult with the scientific community, and above all – listen to the people who use this compound, not to get high, but to stay alive.”
For more information on 7-OH and the alliance, visit www.7hopealliance.org.
About 7-HOPE Alliance
7-HOPE Alliance (7-Hydroxy Outreach for Public Education) is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3) pending) dedicated to advancing public education, user support, and policy advocacy around 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a naturally occurring alkaloid in the kratom plant. Through a foundation of science, storytelling, and community, 7-HOPE empowers individuals, healthcare professionals, and policymakers with accurate, balanced information on 7-OH and its role in harm reduction, natural wellness, and safe, legal access to alternatives. The organization’s mission centers on four pillars: science, education, advocacy, and user support. By confronting misinformation, promoting responsible use, and providing uplifting real-life testimonials, 7-HOPE aims to ensure 7-OH remains available to the many individuals who find it to be a safe and effective alternative to dangerous painkillers and illegal drugs. For more information or to get involved, visit www.7hopealliance.org.
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