7OH vs. Kratom: The Full Picture

Key Takeaways:

• Kratom is a natural botanical, while 7OH products are highly concentrated, semi-synthetic extracts made in a lab.
• 7OH is more potent than natural kratom products, delivering an intense experience that lacks the balance of the full-spectrum leaf.
• The legal status of 7OH is highly unstable, with many states specifically banning these potent products, making them a risky choice.
• For safety, consistency, and legal peace of mind, choosing lab-tested, all-natural kratom is the clear and responsible choice.

Over the past decade, kratom’s popularity has skyrocketed, especially in the United States and other Western countries. Along with this rise came an expansion in kratom-related offerings, such as extracts. With these deviations arose the inevitable questions of safety and quality control. After all, are these variants the same as the kratom people have used for centuries in other parts of the world?

Once you extract a compound from the plant, enhance its capabilities, and isolate it, aren’t you synthesizing it, manipulating the end product? That’s what happens with 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7OH as it is more commonly called and packaged.

In this article, we’ll provide a complete comparison of 7OH vs. kratom. Our objective is to explain each product's processing, reported effects, and potency, along with an examination of any legal concerns, delivering a clear fact-based picture to help you, the consumer, make informed decisions.

Kratom: The Natural Botanical

The Mitragyna speciosa tree, a member of the coffee family, produces leaves that are a natural source of kratom. Producers harvest the leaves, dry them (either indoors or outdoors), and grind them into a fine powder. 

While the kratom powder contains an array of alkaloids, the most prominent is mitragynine, making up 60% or more of the total alkaloids. It’s this compound that’s responsible for many of the reported effects of the plant (users suggest it may provide relief from day-to-day discomfort).

Contrary to popular belief, 7-hydroxymitragynine is not a prominent alkaloid. In fact, when comparing 7OH vs. kratom, you’ll notice that most natural kratom products contain less than 0.05% of 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Balanced Alkaloid Profile

Natural kratom products contain the whole-plant’s alkaloid profile. The theory is that the array of alkaloids helps create a system of checks and balances, limiting and counteracting the potential ill effects of individual alkaloids and producing a more balanced and stable system response. Whole-leaf products like powders and capsules also require slower digestion, leading to a more gradual and milder onset of any effects. 

7OH: The Lab-Enhanced Extract

7-hydroxymitragynine is naturally occurring in the kratom leaf, but only in trace amounts. It plays a minimal role in the cited effects of traditional kratom products, but some modern alkaloid extracts isolate 7OH, allowing users to experience its more potent (and more risky) effects.

It’s important to note that 7OH extracts are not natural. They require extensive processing, and the extracts you see in stores or online undergo complex chemical extraction and manipulation processes. These methods either isolate the small amount of natural 7OH or, more commonly, convert the more abundant mitragynine alkaloid into 7OH, making these products semi-synthetics and lab-altered. 

7OH vs. Kratom: Processing, Potency, and Policy

Just on a surface level, it’s clear there is a stark difference between regular kratom and lab-processed 7OH. Kratom processing is agricultural, not chemical. It’s a simple multi-step practice steeped in history.

Alternatively, 7OH extracts require a multi-step chemical process, one that involves the manipulation and enhancement of the natural plant. The isolation and even chemical alteration process requires the use of solvents and chemical reactions to concentrate or convert the alkaloids. It’s a modern invention that skews away from the plant’s traditional use.

Full-Spectrum Leaf vs. Isolate Potency

The synergistic effect of all the alkaloids working together is what makes the natural leaf so popular. Users report wellness benefits from the full-spectrum leaf. Many people use kratom to ease everyday aches or for its stimulant-like effects (similar to a strong cup of coffee). The overall experience and effects depend on the vein color and strain, but it’s often described as balanced and nuanced.

7OH vs. kratom, on the other hand, is much more potent. Some 7OH extracts can be up to 13 times more potent than morphine. They’re said to produce very fast euphoric effects. You can think of it as the difference between drinking a beer (kratom) or drinking straight grain alcohol (7OH).

Legislation and Growing Concern

Natural kratom is legal in most states, though the FDA has not approved it for any medical purposes. That said, consumers find the natural leaf effective for addressing minor physical tension and attribute other wellness benefits to the plant. 

Still, like most legitimate kratom manufacturers, The Kratom Company advocates for stricter regulations, promoting safety, transparency, and quality standards across the industry. We know that without proper regulations (like those called for in the Kratom Consumer Protection Act), consumers are at risk.

Part of that risk stems from the isolation of specific and nuanced alkaloids, such as 7OH. High-potency extracts have strong interactions with opioid receptors, leading to rapid tolerance and physical dependence. High doses of 7OH may suppress breathing, resulting in respiratory depression.

Recently, the FDA issued a warning against using 7OH extracts and similar products because of dependency and overdose risks. The DEA issued support for the warning and is currently reviewing the FDA’s recommendation.

However, in the 7OH vs. kratom debate, it’s important to note that the FDA differentiated between these semi-synthetic, lab-produced products and the natural leaf. The agency stipulated that it was not targeting natural kratom.

Our Recommendation: Natural Kratom, The Clear Winner

We recognize the motivation behind 7OH use. Sometimes, people are after any solution to improve their wellness. With that sympathy in mind, 7OH users should be cautious of the risks of altered products and mind the unpredictable and volatile legal landscape surrounding such extracts.

Kratom can serve as a safer alternative to the more potent 7OH products. The alkaloid profile has a longer, more established history than its more isolated counterparts. Also, with evolving legislation, kratom manufacturers must adhere to strict processing, potency, and quality standards, especially in states that have adopted laws.

Many of our customers state that kratom is a more balanced alternative to 7OH. They talked about how the experience the kratom leaf offered was more appealing and more comfortable than what 7OH provided.

Shop The Kratom Company for Quality Products

In the 7OH vs. kratom debate, we obviously have a favorite, but it’s not only because kratom is our business. We believe in the benefits and effects of traditional kratom. That’s why we only use the best kratom farms in Southeast Asia and remain committed to third-party lab-testing and transparency. 

If you’re interested in all-natural, lab-tested kratom powders and capsules, check out our shop. Also, if you’re new to kratom or looking for a safer alternative to 7OH, check out our beginner’s guide to kratom, where we discuss the different veins and strains.