Dirty Politics Behind DEA's 2-Year Ban on 7-OH and Potential Miracle Molecule SR-17018

I've been added to a group of addicts, activists, addict-activists, and other stakeholders who are hiring lawyers and organizing the fight. I will keep you all updated.

If you haven't heard, SR-17018 - along with several other synthetic opioids and the kratom alkaloids / analogues 7-OH (7-hydroxy), MGM-15, MGM-16, and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl - are being classified as Schedule I substances by the DEA.

As of July 1, the DEA published Notices of Intent to schedule these substances, meaning that - if the process unfolds as expected - they will be moved to Schedule I for two years beginning on or after July 31, 2026.

The repercussions are profound.

Schedule I is the most restrictive class of substances under the Controlled Substances Act; it is reserved for substances with no recognized medical value, which pose substantial threats to human health and safety.

Anyone selling or purchasing a Schedule I substance, needless to say, is committing a crime.

Research into Schedule I substances is also very difficult: Obtaining them is a challenge; there are extra registration / regulatory hurdles; and federal funding dollars can't be spent on such research unless there is already substantial evidence to support efficacy (whether the animal studies that show SR's unique promise would suffice as such evidence, or whether we would need human studies, is anyone's guess at this point).

If you don't know why SR-17018 is so promising, check out my original article here.

Dirty, Dirty

It's looking like there's some really gruesome, outright transactional "politics" behind the ban on 7-OH and SR-17018.

I don't have time to do a full write-up at the moment, so I'm including the transcript for my YouTube short on the subject:

Buckle up, because this is quite the story, and it begins in April 2023, when federal agents raided the HQ of Botanic Tonics, the company that makes Feel Free - a kratom / kava drink that you’ve probably heard about - you know, because of how addictive it can be.

The federal case then remained inactive for over two years, until December 2025, at which point the court finally rejected the company’s motion to dismiss, meaning that federal prosecutors were free to move forward. 

Within two weeks, however, the DOJ dropped all charges. 

Less than 10 weeks after the case was abandoned, Botanic Tonics owner and Grisham-novel-style excon J.W. Ross - original name Jerry Cash* - gave $500,000 to RFK’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) PAC; this was the first of several contributions that would total over $1 million. 

*This f*cking guy: A former oil exec who served three years in prison for stealing more than $10 million and falsifying financial statements. He turned state's witness against his CFO during his case. Then, after allegedly bringing to light a plot against a judge's life on the part of a gang leader who was a bunkie of his, he was released from prison, given a new identity / put in witness protection, and had his case sealed. You can't make this stuff up.

Once he knew that he was protected from prosecution, it looks like Ross set out to ensure that his competitor chemicals - which included 7-OH, MGM-15 and -16, and even, yes, SR-17018, which had been eating into his company’s profits, would be outlawed. 

If you’ve watched my video of July 1, you don’t need me to tell you what came next: Apparently apropos of nothing, the DEA issued Notices of Intent to classify 7-OH, SR-17018, and several other opioids as Schedule I controlled substances - the most highly restricted category, with no recognized medical uses. 

This “temporary” ban, which will last for two years, will make it exceedingly difficult to research these chemicals.

(Also, if 7-OH isn’t medically useful, what’s the point in kratom? But I digress.)

You might also be interested to know that, despite publicly speaking out against kratom, the head of the Department of Homeland Safety, Markwayne Mullin, has a $1 million dollar investment in - you’ve got it, Botanic Tonics - and has previously asked Health Department officials to remove FDA warning labels on - well - I don’t even have to finish my sentence... 

In the words of one Redditor, “Never forget that your government hates you and wants you dead.” 

This is outright transactional, lowest-common-denominator, we’re-not-even-trying-to-hide-it-anymore "politics."

There's a great Kansas City Star article on the filthy dealings behind the 7-OH / SR-17018 ban: Check it out here if you're interested in the full story.

If there is one crowning injustice in all of this, it’s that SR-17018, a biased agonist that has shown unique promise for pain management and addiction treatment alike, has been lumped in with much more dangerous and functionally unrelated chemicals. 

The fight isn’t over yet. There’s talk of letters and petitions, lawyers and legislators, and I will keep you all updated as it moves forward.

Again, check back for updates. Stay safe; I love you all.