American Kratom Group Presses AMA to Separate Natural Leaf from Lab‑Made Opioids

The American Kratom Association (AKA) is pressing the American Medical Association (AMA) to draw a sharper line between traditional kratom leaf and newly emerging, chemically altered 7‑hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) products. The group says that failing to distinguish between the two could mislead consumers and drive flawed policy decisions.

In its recent policy action, the AMA backed tighter controls on highly concentrated 7‑OH products, particularly where children and teenagers could be exposed. The AKA agrees those lab‑manipulated opioids pose serious risks, but argues they should not be described as “kratom products” at all.

According to the association, natural kratom leaf is primarily composed of mitragynine, with 7‑OH present only in small traces, whereas some newer products chemically convert mitragynine into high‑dose 7‑OH. Citing an FDA‑supervised human study where adults tolerated substantial kratom leaf doses without serious adverse events, the AKA is urging regulators to treat altered 7‑OH opioids as a separate category from traditional kratom.

You can read the original report at Yahoo.