Canton police, state seize drugs during local inspection
An over-the-counter product that can simulate opioid effects has been removed from a Canton Township tobacco shop by police.
Township police said strict enforcement regarding kratom and highly concentrated 7-0H products will continue. An inspection at a local tobacco shop with MDARD (Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) and Michigan State Police discovered hundreds of the Kratom products along with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the primary psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant that causes the sensation of being "high." The substances were allegedly being sold illegally when inspectors and police visited the store Aug. 28.
The items were seized and the and the evidence and findings will be referred to the office of Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, police said.
7-OH is 7-hydroxymitragynine, a naturally occurring chemical found in the kratom plant, native to Southeast Asia. Kratom plant leaves contain several alkaloids, including mitragynine and much smaller amounts of 7-hydroxymitragynine.
While 7-OH occurs naturally in kratom, it is considered much more potent than mitragynine and can also be produced or concentrated from kratom extracts. Kratom products labeled as 7-OH may include tablets, gummies, powders, shots, or liquid extracts. 7-OH interacts with opioid receptors in the brain and nervous system, according to scientific research. It can produce opioid-like effects, including relaxation, pain relief, and sedation.
Side effects can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, confusion, and drowsiness, experts advised. High doses may increase the risk of slowed breathing, loss of consciousness, and other serious complications, especially when 7-OH is combined with alcohol, prescription opioids, benzodiazepines, or other sedating drugs.
There is no state law in Michigan banning 7-OH products although state regulators say kratom and other unapproved psychoactive substances cannot legally be marketed as food or dietary supplement ingredients.
The substances are under consideration for designation under Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act but currently have no federal ban.
