RFK Jr. Wants to Ban Gas Station Drug Tied to Addiction

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing for a ban on a gas station drug tied to addiction, overdoses, and comparisons to opioids.

Kennedy wants the DEA to schedule 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) as a Schedule I drug.

It’s a compound found in kratom leaves and is being sold across the country in drinks, gummies, and powders, mostly in smoke shops and convenience stores.

“7-OH binds to the mu receptor, which means, scientifically by definition, it is an opioid,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said. He added that it’s not just similar to opioids in effect, it is one.

According to Makary, it’s 13 times more potent than morphine.

The announcement was made Tuesday at a press conference with Kennedy and Makary, where both officials warned of a coming “fourth wave of opioid addiction” if 7-OH stays on shelves, according to the Daily Mail.

Kennedy said the goal is to avoid a repeat of the 1990s and 2010s opioid crisis. He tied the threat to his own past struggles. “When there is availability that can become a crisis,” Kennedy said. “And my addiction started because of, let me say this, it was precipitated by availability.”

Makary emphasized that the government is not targeting kratom itself, but the concentrated compound 7-OH. “It is a synthetic concentrated by-product of kratom. Our focus is not on kratom. Our focus is on 7-OH,” he said.

The DEA has to review HHS’s recommendation before scheduling can move forward. That review could take up to six months, followed by a 30-to-60-day public comment period. Officials say they’re fast-tracking it.

Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill said the drug is being marketed deceptively.

“7-OH carries a high risk of addiction, on purpose,” he said. “Young people, veterans and people who suffer from chronic pain or addiction are being misled into thinking that these are safe alternatives. They are not.”

Kennedy met with Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this week to discuss the issue. Bondi presented data showing a correlation between vape and smoke shops and rising overdose deaths.

Makary said these gas station products are being sold as productivity boosters or natural painkillers, but most consumers have no idea what they’re ingesting.

“After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again,” he said.

One of the most well-known 7-OH products is the “Feel Free” tonic, which has gone viral for its immediate effects. Users say it gives a quick buzz, but many later report dependency.

HHS cited an uptick in emergency room visits tied to 7-OH. Reports often involve young adults, chronic pain sufferers, and veterans.

Kennedy and Makary both warned that if nothing is done, the U.S. will see another wave of addiction, this time fueled by something being sold legally in gas stations.

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