NYT Investigation: DHS Secretary Mullin Holds Up to $1M Stake in Kratom Company Amid DEA's 7-OH Crackdown

Why it matters

A New York Times investigation revealing that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin holds a financial stake worth up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics — a kratom company whose products are sold in gas stations nationwide — raises direct conflict-of-interest questions about the Trump administration's selective crackdown on synthetic 7-OH products while leaving traditional natural kratom intact.

The big picture

The NYT investigation, published in June 2026 and surfaced in the week's policy coverage, found that Mullin played a role in a kratom industry influence campaign and, while still a senator, endorsed proposed restrictions specifically targeting synthetic 7-OH products — the same concentrated products that compete with traditional kratom for shelf space. The DEA's July 1 scheduling action closely tracks that industry preference, targeting elevated-concentration 7-OH while verbally exempting botanical kratom. The FDA's deletion of links from its kratom webpage detailing a pending legal case against Botanic Tonics, after the company's allies pushed for the change, adds a second layer to the investigation.

Key findings

• DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin holds a financial stake worth as much as $1 million in Botanic Tonics, a kratom company with products in gas stations and smoke shops nationwide, per a New York Times investigation
• The DEA's July 1 action — which verbally exempts natural botanical kratom while targeting concentrated synthetic 7-OH — stands to benefit sellers of traditional kratom leaf, including Botanic Tonics
• Mullin, while still a U.S. senator, had endorsed proposed federal restrictions on concentrated synthetic 7-OH products that compete with traditional kratom products
• The FDA deleted links from its kratom webpage detailing a then-pending federal legal case against Botanic Tonics following pressure from the company's allies
• DHS stated that Mullin "follows all ethics and conflict of interest standards and has not lobbied for any individual or company"
• The scheduling action targets 7-OH products at the 0.050% threshold or 1 mg per serving — a definition that, if enforced as DEA officials have verbally described, would leave Botanic Tonics-style natural leaf products untouched

What they say

The Psychedelics Today policy briefing, citing The New York Times, notes: "Restrictions on synthetic 7-OH products stand to benefit sellers of traditional kratom, including Botanic Tonics" — a company in which DHS Secretary Mullin holds a financial stake disclosed at up to $1 million.

Bottom line

**The Trump administration's 7-OH scheduling action aligns precisely with the financial interests of a company in which its own DHS Secretary holds a disclosed stake — a conflict that Congress and public commenters can place directly on the administrative record before the July 31 deadline.**