AMA strengthens policy to highlight risks of kratom products

CHICAGO - At its annual meeting, the American Medical Association (AMA) expanded its policy on kratom products to underscore the potential harms to children and adolescents and highlight concerns about products containing concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine-known as 7-OH-a potent opioid-like compound found naturally only in trace amounts in the kratom plant.

Increasingly, manufacturers are extracting and concentrating 7-OH for sale in products that can be significantly more potent than traditional kratom leaf. These concentrated products may carry heightened risks of addiction, overdose, and other serious health harms. Many are marketed in forms that appeal to young people, including flavored gummies, brightly colored packaging, and other candy-like presentations. Such marketing practices have coincided with increasing reports of pediatric exposures to poison centers and greater access to these products by minors.

The policy adopted by the AMA calls for a ban on the sale, distribution, or marketing of 7-OH products and similar derivatives. It also urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state legislatures to classify 7-OH kratom products as adulterated or misbranded when sold in child-friendly forms and prohibit their availability in retail stores and online platforms accessible to minors.

The AMA continues to recommend that the safety and efficacy of kratom and its derivatives should be determined through rigorous scientific research and clinical trials. Any determination regarding the marketing, sale, prescribing, or potential regulation under the Controlled Substances Act should be based on evidence and review by appropriate regulatory authorities.

"The AMA strongly supports efforts to educate parents, young people, and communities about the risks associated with concentrated 7-OH products," said Dr. Melissa J. Garretson, a member of the AMA Board of Trustees. "While research continues, we cannot ignore the growing availability of unregulated products marketed in ways that appeal to children and adolescents. Concentrated 7-OH products are being sold in forms that can resemble candy and other treats, creating unnecessary risks for young people. We share the FDA's concerns and support policies that protect children from exposure to these potentially harmful products."