By Sarah Owermohle, CNN

(CNN) — Federal officials promised on Tuesday to crack down on a potent semisynthetic opioid found in convenience store gummies, drinks and dietary supplements by putting the substance in the most restricted class of drugs.

The action by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department targets a compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, that is drawn from the opioid-like herb kratom. Taken in small doses, kratom and that component can act as a stimulant, and some people use it to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Although 7-OH occurs naturally in “trace amounts” in kratom , some consumer products on the market have concentrated amounts of 7-OH, the US Food and Drug Administration has said.

“We are not targeting the kratom leaf o

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