Plea to RFK Jr. timed for Veterans Day
Today is Veterans Day, which honors approximately 17.6 million veterans living in the United States. And some of them are using this time to call on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to end his efforts to ban 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) – a compound naturally found in the kratom plant.
Four months ago, Kennedy’s FDA requested that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) take action to control certain 7-hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH) products under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The substance is also known as “gas station heroin.”
Veterans asked Kennedy for a science-based approach to responsibly regulating kratom.
A letter, signed by nine veterans under the banner Veterans to Save 7-OH, highlights the impact of 7-OH on veterans managing chronic pain, PTSD and recovery from opioid addiction. Veterans describe 7-OH as “life-changing,” citing its role in helping them manage pain, regain stability and rebuild their lives after service.
“For many of us, 7-OH has provided relief where years of prescription medications, surgeries, or therapies have failed,” the letter states. “It soothed the pain that kept us from sleeping, helped calm the nerves that thought we had never left the battlefield, and provided a bridge away from dangerous opioids and alcohol. Simply put, it gave us our lives back.”
In July, Louisiana became the seventh state to completely ban kratom. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that an emergency rule has been filed to classify 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) isolated and/or concentrated from kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida.
The rule, which took effect immediately, makes it illegal to sell, possess or distribute any isolated or concentrated form of 7-OH in the state.
Kratom is a tropical tree (Mitragyna speciosa) native to Southeast Asia and is not legally marketed in the United States as a drug product, dietary supplement, or food additive in conventional foods. It is frequently brewed in tea.
Veterans face approximately twice the risk of overdose compared to the general population, according to national data. The numbers reveal a harsh and persistent reality: After serving their country, many veterans return home with chronic pain, trauma and limited treatment options. Veterans argue that banning 7-OH would push many veterans toward opioids and illicit drugs. Instead of a ban, they call on HHS to pursue responsible regulation, including age restrictions, product testing, transparent labeling, and continued scientific research.
“At a time when some 150 Americans are dying every day from opioid overdoses, we cannot afford to lose 7-OH, which safely helps veterans recover, reconnect, and rebuild,” they state in the letter. The coalition requested a meeting with HHS officials to share first-hand accounts and collaborate on evidence-based policy. The letter is part of a growing movement of veterans and harm reduction advocates urging federal agencies to authorize research into 7-OH for its potential for safe and therapeutic use.
Veterans to Save 7-OH is a national coalition of veterans and first responders advocating for safe access to 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products.
You can read the letter here.
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