Wired: The Kratom-vs-7-OH Political Divide Deepens as MAHA, Trump, and Industry Lobbyists Clash

Why it matters

A deepening political and commercial schism between the natural kratom and synthetic 7-OH industries — complicated by federal officials' financial ties to kratom companies — is shaping the regulatory trajectory for both substances and affecting millions of consumers.

The big picture

Once united against a DEA ban in 2016, kratom advocates are now fractured: traditional kratom proponents are actively pushing to ban 7-OH, which they say has hijacked the kratom brand. The MAHA movement has aligned with natural kratom, while the 7-OH industry argues the two are inseparable. The political picture is muddied by reported financial connections between the Feel Free kratom drink company's founder and federal officials, including DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's reported investment of up to $1 million in Feel Free's parent company Botanic Tonics. Meanwhile, the NIH received IND clearance in June 2026 for the first human safety trial of mitragynine for opioid use disorder.

Key findings

• Former kratom advocates are now split: the American Kratom Association is pushing to ban 7-OH while the 7-OH industry claims it is kratom
• RFK Jr. called 7-OH 'sinister'; FDA Commissioner Makary called for Schedule I status; Trump publicly endorsed 'natural 7-OH' in confusing Oval Office remarks
• Feel Free's parent company Botanic Tonics gave $500,000 to the MAHA PAC; DHS Secretary Mullin reportedly holds up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics
• At least 12 states have enacted their own 7-OH bans ahead of federal scheduling
• NIH announced IND clearance June 1, 2026 for first human trial of mitragynine as opioid use disorder treatment
• Researchers warn 7-OH Schedule I status could limit scientific research into its potential medical benefits

What they say

"This is a chemically manipulated, full-blown opioid that is now in the marketplace," said Mac Haddow, Senior Policy Fellow at the American Kratom Association. "They masquerade as kratom products." Chris McCurdy, a leading kratom researcher at the University of Florida, warned that 7-OH scheduling could limit research: "It could be of legal and proper benefit to many people because of the possibility that it may have a safer profile than traditional prescription opioids."

Bottom line

The kratom-vs-7-OH regulatory battle is increasingly entangled with MAHA politics and industry money — making a clear, evidence-based federal framework more urgent and more complicated than ever.