Last week we asked for your thoughts on the new drug called 7-OH. Responses came in within minutes, and represented a wide range of perspectives.
Here’s a sampling of the responses we got, and our thoughts on your questions and concerns.
But first, if you missed last week’s blog, click below so you’re caught up.
“I actually got to a point where cannabis wasn’t helping me with my pain from my Iraq injury and 70H has been a lifesaver for me. I got addicted to opiates after coming back from Iraq and getting off was a very miserable and dangerous experience. So I have to be careful about using opiates now for pain. 70H really filled that void for me when I have days that I have bad flareups. I don’t take it every day because I do know that it can be habit forming, But I have not had any side effects from it whatsoever. I know multiple people who are using 70H and all of them are using it for medicinal purposes. I’m sure there are some that are using it recreationally but I don’t know anybody like that.”
“It has impacted my family with my brother in law addicted to it. I classify it as HEROIN. Being Recovered from heroin myself the withdrawals are greater with 7-0.”
“I enjoyed your write up on 7-OH this morning. I went and did some digging and a lot of academics are doing the early work that could pave the way to formal clinical trials in humans. It’s early, but could be promising, so long as DEA doesn’t reschedule as class 1. It really does make research extremely difficult.”
“I know alot of my coworkers in the caregiver industry are using kratom to help them with pain and they don’t use illegal narcotics anymore because they swear by kratom. I haven’t tried it but I think it shouldn’t be banned. It should be studied more and made safe for the public to use. People are in pain. They need help.”
“Don’t believe it should be banned, but should be regulated. It would be less dangerous than Rx opioids.”
“Thank you for this article. I had no idea what Kratom was or 7-OH. Thank you for enlightening me.”
Those responses represent the wide range of perspectives sent to us. Our support for legal regulation of 7-OH addresses every concern raised.
First, for pain patients like the Iraq war veteran, it’s giving him relief with no negative side effects.
Second, loved ones are less likely to get contaminated 7-OH if it’s regulated, and they’re more likely to be able to move past the addiction if they aren’t in prison or shackled with a criminal record because of it.
Third, withdrawals from many drugs can be excruciating, which is why age restrictions on purchasing and honest education about the risks are paramount. Legally regulated sales are the best way to ensure these happen.
Fourth, if the DEA moves 7-OH to Schedule 1, it will make research on it nearly impossible. Don’t we want to know more about something that could be a tool for pain management, opioid addiction, and who knows what else?
Fifth, the word “safety” often comes up when people talk about banning a drug. The problem is, banning throws safety out the window. Legal regulation is what gives us safety options like age gates, potency, purity, labeling, testing, and packaging requirements.
The last response might be our favorite. The writer had no idea what kratom or 7-OH was, and they’ve been reading our letters and now they do. The first step to positive change is understanding the challenges in front of us.
If a drug is potentially harmful, we should want some control over it. That’s what regulation in a legal market offers. 7-OH needs to be regulated, not banned.
If you ban it, be prepared for the wild west where any concoction is sold by anyone to anyone. This is how 15-year-olds get their hands on fentanyl. Bans don’t solve the problem. They increase the risk.
Now that you’ve had a little time to think on it, we’d love to hear more thoughts. What should we do with 7-OH? What resonates with you about our perspective, and where do you think we’re wrong?