Gas station shelves across Pinal County are stocking a substance that Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller says behaves less like an herbal supplement and more like a street narcotic. After an undercover operation sent investigators into stores to buy products marketed as kratom, Miller’s office concluded that many of them are something else entirely: synthetic formulas built around a compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, that he compares directly to fentanyl.
The hidden-camera operation, first detailed by ABC15, found that a number of the products on store counters weren’t traditional kratom leaf at all but synthetic formulas sold under the kratom name. Kratom itself is a natural herbal plant from the Mitragyna speciosa species, traditionally chewed, smoked or mixed into tea, and some users claim it helps manage chronic pain or boosts alertness, as PinalCentral reports. But investigators say some of what’s being sold under that label contains as little as 0.002% actual kratom leaf, with the rest made up of concentrated 7-OH.
“It’s really a synthesized plant that’s just as dangerous as fentanyl,” Miller told ABC15, adding that these products move through the market without any federal vetting. “There’s no FDA approval. There’s no look at to see whether this stuff is safe,” he said. While 7-hydroxymitragynine does occur naturally in kratom leaf as a minor component, per PinalCentral’s reporting, synthetic kratom products contain far higher concentrations of it — and the compound binds to opioid receptors with effects similar to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
Why the Receptor Science Matters
The medical reasoning behind Miller’s alarm tracks with what addiction specialists have told national outlets. Dr. Alta DeRoo explained to Stateline that 7-OH acts more specifically on the mu-opioid receptor — “the same receptor that morphine or fentanyl would hit.” That distinction separates concentrated 7-OH products from traditional kratom leaf, which Stateline notes is sold online and at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops nationwide…