I prepared and submitted a public comment to HHS regarding the proposed temporary Schedule I action on 7-hydroxymitragynine, often shortened to 7-OH.

My position is not that every current 7-OH product is safe, well-labeled, or responsibly marketed. Some products clearly need serious regulation. But I do not accept the simplistic “gas station heroin” framing. Chemically, medically, and legally, this issue deserves more care than a slogan.

As someone living with degenerative disc disease and ankylosing spondylitis, and as someone who has been prescribed conventional opioid pain medication, I believe adults should have access to properly regulated, plant-derived options when they choose them. In my own experience, 7-hydroxymitragynine has provided meaningful pain relief with fewer burdens than conventional alternatives. That personal experience is not clinical proof, but it is part of why this issue matters to me.

The attached comment argues for transparent science, validated thresholds, product testing, manufacturing standards, age limits, accurate labeling, adverse-event reporting, transition planning, and continued research access before HHS concludes that Schedule I is the only or best answer.

The answer is not an unregulated market. The answer is better regulation that protects public health without unnecessarily harming people who live with pain.