Policy · 2026-05-13
Trump's Remark on 'Natural 7-OH' Approval Triggers Industry Divide: AKA Says He Meant Leaf, HART Says He Endorsed All 7-OH
Source: Pain News Network
Why it matters
A brief comment by President Trump that his administration would seek federal approval for "natural 7-OH" has created a major fault line in the kratom industry—pitting natural leaf kratom advocates against concentrated 7-OH manufacturers—while leaving the DEA's pending scheduling decision in further uncertainty.
The big picture
The kratom industry has been split for years over the question of whether concentrated semisynthetic 7-OH products should be treated the same as natural kratom leaf. President Trump's remark—made in passing during a maternal healthcare event, with Dr. Mehmet Oz (CMS Administrator) present—did not clarify which products he meant, fueling competing interpretations. The FDA recommended in July 2025 that the DEA schedule 7-OH as a controlled substance, but the DEA has not acted.
Key findings
- President Trump said his administration would seek to have "natural 7-OH" approved during a White House maternal healthcare event on May 12, 2026
- The American Kratom Association (AKA) interpreted Trump's remark as endorsing only natural leaf kratom's trace 7-OH content (typically less than 2%)
- The Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART), representing concentrated 7-OH manufacturers, said Trump endorsed all forms of 7-OH including concentrated products up to 96% 7-OH
- MNG Brands said the president was "clearly endorsing" traditional leaf—not synthetic derivatives
- As of publication, 7-OH remains unscheduled and available nationwide; the DEA has not acted on the FDA's July 2025 scheduling recommendation
What they say
"As I understand it, from people who are familiar with the President's view on this, that he was speaking about natural kratom, as opposed to synthetic or chemically manipulated 7-OH," said Mac Haddow of the American Kratom Association. HART's Jeff Smith countered: "A blanket ban on natural 7-OH is now directly at odds with the President's stated goal."
Bottom line
Trump's ambiguous endorsement of "natural 7-OH" has widened the kratom industry split and injected presidential politics into what was already a deeply contested regulatory question—without changing 7-OH's unscheduled legal status.