Florida officials have seized more than 17,000 packages of concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound dubbed “vape shop morphine,” following an emergency ban classifying it as a Schedule I controlled substance.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Monday that Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) inspectors pulled 17,311 packages from stores in at least 23 counties. The crackdown comes after Simpson and Attorney General James Uthmeier enacted an emergency rule making it illegal to sell, distribute, or possess 7-OH in concentrations above 400 parts per million.
“Since the emergency rule took effect, FDACS inspectors have been on the front lines working every day to get these dangerous, illegal products off the shelves,” Simpson said. “These so-called wellness products are nothing more than vape shop morphine, and we will continue using every tool at our disposal to protect Florida families.”
Attorney General Uthmeier praised the move, crediting the Trump administration for flagging 7-OH’s dangers and calling Simpson’s enforcement efforts a national model.
A derivative of the kratom plant, 7-OH’s potency spikes when isolated or concentrated. Often sold in gas stations, vape shops, and convenience stores as powders, capsules, extracts, or liquid shots, the products are frequently packaged to attract teens and young adults. Officials warn that they can trigger addiction, overdoses, and severe health issues.
The crackdown is part of FDACS’s wider “Operation Safe Summer,” which has already removed more than 197,000 illegal hemp products across Florida for child-protection violations. Since July 2023, inspectors have confiscated over 1.3 million illegal hemp items statewide.
Leave a Reply