Kratom in Tampa Bay has sparked national curiosity after the FDA announced plans to regulate a powerful compound derived from the plant. But here’s the twist: the crackdown is not targeting the kratom leaf itself — a key distinction that matters deeply in Tampa Bay, dubbed by some as the kava capital of the U.S.
The Real Target: Concentrated 7-OH, Not Kratom Leaf
When FDA Commissioner Marty Makary clarified that the agency’s focus is on “concentrated synthetic byproducts” of kratom — not the plant or leaf powder — it offered a sigh of relief to local businesses. “We are not targeting the kratom leaf or ground up kratom,” he said. Instead, the spotlight is on 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a highly potent compound often marketed in tablets, shots, and gummies.
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