Kratom-Derived Drug Linked To Overdoses In Tampa

As with the word “vitamin,” it is harder than it seems to pin down a definition for the word “drug.”  One person’s drug is another’s social lubricant.  To the prohibitionists, alcohol was a dangerous drug, but to most ancient peoples, it was a source of nutrition and sociability.  Tobacco is a drug according to drug education counselors in elementary school, but to anyone who ever pulled an all-nighter at work before the 1990s, or anyone who ever tried to quit hard drugs, it is simply a way of getting through the day or the night.  Whether something is a controlled substance is more straightforward, because the word “controlled” is in references to legal controls.  You can tell whether something is a controlled substance by looking for its name on the various lists, also known as schedules, of the Controlled Substances Act.  This sounds straightforward enough, but the states have their own controlled substances acts, which sometimes include drugs on which the federal law withholds judgment.  Kratom is legal for sale in Florida, at least for now, but the drug and its derivatives have caused overdoses.  If you are facing legal trouble related to kratom or the kratom derivative 7-hydroxymitragynine, contact a Tampa drug crime lawyer.

What Is Seven Hydroxy, and Why Is It More Dangerous Than Kratom?

Federal law does not list kratom as a controlled substance, although it is illegal to import live specimens of the plant from which it is derived, Mitragyna speciosa, which grows in Southeast Asia.  Therefore, most kratom sold in the United States is in the form of pill capsules filled with a powder made from kratom leaves.  The drug has similar effects to opioids, and some former opioid users take kratom to help avoid relapsing on opioids.  Fatal overdose on kratom has occurred, but it is rare, although kratom can be addictive and cause withdrawal symptoms.

Some states have criminalized kratom, but Florida has not, although the Florida legislature is considering a bill that would impose tighter regulations on the kratom industry.  Meanwhile, law enforcement in the Tampa area has noticed a disturbing trend recently.  Crime labs are turning up a new, kratom-derived substance called 7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as seven hydroxy.  It is more potent than pure kratom, and it is not possible to make it without using kratom powder as a precursor.

The biggest worry about seven hydroxy is how closely its effects resemble those of opioids.  Some counterfeit pills marketed on the street as prescription opioids may contain seven hydroxy; this has happened with other “dietary supplement” drugs such as tianeptine.  Researchers do not yet know whether seven hydroxy can be counteracted with naloxone, the way that opioids can.

Contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Bryant Scriven

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for possession or distribution of seven hydroxy or other novel drugs derived from legal products such as kratom.  Contact Scriven Law in Tampa, Florida to schedule a consultation.

Sources:

winknews.com/wink_investigations/wink-investigates-controversy-over-kratom-in-swfl/article_96e74343-7a71-4a31-84ef-f3e7cca21d60.html

wfla.com/news/florida/new-florida-bill-proposes-stricter-regulations-on-kratom/