Asked about the widespread availability of intoxicating cannabinoid products, such as delta-8 THC, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned on Tuesday that the use of cannabinoids can lead to cardiac problems and psychosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally, in my writings, in my statements\u2014and also the Department of Health and Human Services\u2014have expressed serious concerns about people using these cannabis products,\u201d FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in response to a question from a Wall Street Journal reporter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want kids to use them,\u201d Makary replied. \u201cCannabis use disorder is a real thing, and as you appropriately mentioned, there are now studies linking it to psychosis and even cardiovascular problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FDA chief\u2019s comments came at a press event at which he and other federal health officials announced plans to take action to restrict a separate substance: 7-hydroxymitragynine (known as 7-OH-MIT or simply 7-OH), an opioid-like compound that is produced in small amounts by the kratom plant.<\/p>\n
Makary said the matter of reining in cannabis products is \u201can important issue\u201d but described it \u201can entirely separate public health campaign\u201d from plans to restrict 7-OH.<\/p>\n
As for that substance, FDA is recommending that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) schedule the compound under the federal Controlled Substances Act.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no FDA-approved 7-OH drugs, 7-OH is not lawful in dietary supplements and 7-OH cannot be lawfully added to conventional foods,\u201d FDA said in a press release about the planned move.<\/p>\n
\nFDA says the proposed scheduling action would specifically target 7-OH, which it described as \u201ca concentrated byproduct of the kratom plant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The agency says the action \u201cis not focused on natural kratom leaf products,\u201d which contain relatively little 7-OH. In botanical kratom, the primary active ingredient in is another chemical, mitragynine.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, we\u2019re taking action on 7-OH as a critical step in the fight against opioid addiction,\u201d Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said<\/a> in a statement.\u00a0\u201cWe will protect the health of our nation\u2019s youth as we advance our mission to Make America Healthy Again.\u201d<\/p>\n FDA noted that last month, it issued warning letters to seven companies that the agency claims was illegally distributing 7-OH products, \u201cincluding tablets, gummies, drink mixes and shots.\u201d The agency<\/p>\n