Recent news reports of a one-size-fits-all “kratom” regulation in New York have left me feeling two things at once: compassion for fellow families who have lost loved ones to mislabeled products, and frustration over legislators’ failure to acknowledge a critical distinction in this health policy debate.

Here in the Empire State, it’s not the natural kratom leaf that’s causing harm. The real culprit is concentrated synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — a lab-made opioid 13 times more potent than morphine that’s being deceptively marketed as kratom in gas stations and smoke shops across New York.

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