State regulators last year took a synthetic opioid known as 7-OH off Florida shelves, but lawmakers ended the legislative session March 13 without backing up the move, leaving the substance's future in legal limbo.
A byproduct of kratom that's potentially addictive and largely unregulated, 7-OH is still unavailable over the counter in Florida, but state emergency rules will soon expire.
In this year's legislative session, a measure that would have made 7-OH illegal was removed from the bill and replaced with an entirely different drug, nitrous oxide.
The drug's full name is 7-Hydroxymitragynine. It's a synthetic version of kratom that interacts with the brain's opioid receptors and is highly addictive. Researchers say the drug is 13 times stronger than morphine and has a high potential to be abused.
Last summer, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommended the Food and Drug Administration classify the drug as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, something with no medicinal value on par with heroin and LSD.
In August 2025 Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier first issued an emergency rule that outlawed the sale of 7-OH over .04% concentrate.
But that rule is set to expire June 30.
In previous years, when former Attorney General Ashley Moody issued emergency orders for drugs, like nitazenes and tianeptine, also known as gas station heroin, the Legislature later passed a measure to permanently place the drugs on the state's Schedule I.
Emergency rules typically last for 90 days, but there are some instances where the timeframe is longer, such as for scheduling drugs.
This year, a bill that would have outlawed 7-OH failed to make it past the finish line after talks with the House.
In its third committee stop, SB 432, sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, the 7-OH part of the bill was swapped with nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas."
Yarborough said he re-wrote the measure to remove the 7-OH provision after negotiations with the House and added nitrous oxide after discussions with Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg.
Faced with the impending end of restrictions on 7-OH, other agencies are looking to put new regulations on its use and sale.
This week, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued a new, more detailed rule for 7-OH labeling requirements. This new emergency rule is set to expire in 90 days, along the same timeframe as the attorney general's rule.
"This new rule will enable us to identify and remove a dangerous and unregulated drug from Florida shelves, which will protect Florida families, Florida children, and Florida communities," said Aaron Keller, FDACS communications director.
It's unclear how Uthmeier will react to the lack of legislative action on 7-OH. His office did not respond to questions for comment.