If 7-OH Is "Synthetic," Where's the Patent? The Contradiction at the Heart of the Ban
Regulators keep calling 7-OH a "synthetic opioid." But you can't patent a natural compound, and no one holds a patent on 7-OH — because it's a naturally occurring plant alkaloid. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are patenting genuinely synthetic versions to sell. It can't be synthetic enough to ban and natural enough to be unpatentable. The contradiction, exposed.
DEA Files Notice of Intent to Schedule 7-Hydroxymitragynine: What It Actually Means — and Who Gets Hurt
DEA filed a notice of intent July 1, 2026 to temporarily schedule 7-hydroxymitragynine. The comment period closes July 31. Here's what was actually filed, what the threshold means, and who gets hurt.