u/Open-Bowl-9572

On July 1st, federal officials released a notice of intent to consider scheduling 7-OH products above a certain threshold of 7-OH content after a 30-day comment period.

We understand that this announcement is causing a lot of confusion, fear, and uncertainty throughout the consumer community.

First and most importantly, we want to be clear:

7-OH has not been immediately banned or scheduled.

What was announced on July 1st is a federal request for public comment on a proposed threshold that would determine how much 7-OH a product may contain moving forward.

That distinction matters.

While this development is serious, there is still a process ahead, and there is still an opportunity for science, evidence, and consumer voices to be heard.

The 7-HOPE Alliance is actively reviewing the announcement and coordinating with legal, scientific, policy, and advocacy partners to determine the strongest path forward. In the coming days, we will share a comprehensive action plan so advocates can make their voices heard during this critical period. 

JOIN OUR CALL: We are announcing a national advocate call for 7/7 at 7pmET where we will announce the next steps in our response and address as many questions as possible. You can register HERE:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN\_whd6nfN6TRGlLZmU50V4Yg#/registration

Most importantly, we want consumers to know this: you are not alone.

We understand how deeply personal this issue is for many people who rely on 7-OH every day. We know how frightening uncertainty can feel when access to something you depend on appears threatened.

Please know that we are here with you, and we will continue fighting to protect consumer access through science, education, and advocacy.

We strongly encourage everyone to remain calm, refrain from contacting lawmakers as we formulate a plan, and follow official updates from 7-HOPE as this situation develops. We must be unified in our response to ensure our collective voice is heard and we will share more just as soon as we can. 

Please sign up for our text alerts (text 818-287-6644), email list, and continue checking our federal action page for real-time information:

🌐 7-HOPE Federal Action Page- https://7hopealliance.org/federal

One thing is absolutely clear:

The need for this community to stand together has never been greater.

Now is the time for unity, advocacy, and action.

First off I’m truly sorry for everyone who just got cut off after the bans😔💔 A lot of people were using kratom and 7oh for very different reasons like pain, anxiety, or just daily functioning, and it’s rough to suddenly lose something that was actually helping. I put this together for people trying to figure out what else is out there that’s still legal. We're going to try hard to get these bans overturned but in the meantime hopefully some of these options may give you some relief🙏

Mitragyna hirsuta – a kratom cousin that does not contain mitragynine at all. People sometimes use it for mild body relaxation or subtle pain support. It is much weaker and more inconsistent than kratom or 7oh, but some do feel a gentle calming of tension. Herb Stomp is a reputable vendor for this and javanica, which matters because some sellers will just relabel weak kratom as hirsuta.

Mitragyna javanica – another relative with no mitragynine. Usually lighter than hirsuta. Some people describe a mild mood lift or very gentle relaxation, but it is not strong for pain.

Wild lettuce – traditional herb used for pain relief. Often described as a mild dulling or numbing effect on discomfort. Somewhat inconsistent but long used historically for body pain.

Corydalis – one of the more noticeable herbal pain options. Commonly used for nerve pain and deeper body pain. Can take the edge off intensity and also feel calming or slightly sedating.

Devil’s claw – more focused on inflammation and joint pain. Not usually fast acting, but some people notice improvement in back pain, arthritis, or stiffness over time.

Jamaican dogwood – stronger traditional pain herb. Can be sedating and more heavy in feel. Used for more intense body pain or cramping but can cause drowsiness.

Cramp bark – best known for muscle spasms and cramping pain, especially menstrual or abdominal cramps. Works by relaxing muscle tension more than acting like a general painkiller.

Akuamma – seed from picralima nitida. One of the closer feeling herbs for pain relief in this list for some people. Mild opioid related activity, but still much weaker and somewhat inconsistent depending on product quality.

Incarvillea sinensis – lesser known herb with some real analgesic activity. Some people report noticeable pain relief, but it is not well studied and can vary a lot between sources. It is known for being helpful for nerve pain.

Blue lotus – more for relaxation and anxiety relief than pain. Calming and sometimes mildly sedating, with a dreamy type of effect. Not a pain reliever but can help with stress that can make pain feel worse.

Mulungu – calming and sedating herb often used for anxiety and sleep support. Can feel heavy and very relaxing for some people.

A few other legal botanicals people sometimes explore for pain or inflammation include white willow bark for inflammation and headache type pain, turmeric or boswellia for longer term inflammation support, and kava for relaxation and anxiety support.

None of these are exact replacements for kratom or 7oh, and the effects can vary a lot person to person. But for people stuck in banned states, these are some of the main legal options people tend to look into depending on whether they are dealing with pain, anxiety, or both.

If anyone else has suggestions feel free to add them in the comments.

A bill moving through conference negotiations in North Carolina, known as House Bill 328, could result in a full ban on kratom and 7oh products.

This is happening right now behind closed doors, and final decisions are being made quickly. Public input at this stage is extremely important.

Advocates are being asked to contact members of the conference committee and urge them to oppose prohibition and support common sense regulation instead, including age restrictions, third party testing, and clear labeling requirements.

📞 Conference Committee Contacts

Sen. Bill Rabon

919 733 5963

Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov

Sen. Michael Lee

919 715 2525

Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov

Sen. Tom McInnis

919 733 5953

Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov

Rep. Reece Pyrtle

919 733 5779

Reece.Pyrtle@ncleg.gov

Rep. Brenden Jones

919 733 5821

Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov

Rep. Neal Jackson

919 715 4946

Neal.Jackson@ncleg.gov

Rep. Donnie Loftis

919 733 5809

Donnie.Loftis@ncleg.gov

I will include all of the email addresses separated by commas in the comments so they can be easily copied and pasted into the BCC field to email all members at once.

If you can take a moment to reach out, even a short respectful message can help. This is moving quickly and decisions being made now will shape the outcome.

A bill moving through conference negotiations in North Carolina, known as House Bill 328, could result in a full ban on kratom and 7oh products.

This is happening right now behind closed doors, and final decisions are being made quickly. Public input at this stage is extremely important.

Advocates are being asked to contact members of the conference committee and urge them to oppose prohibition and support common sense regulation instead, including age restrictions, third party testing, and clear labeling requirements.

📞 Conference Committee Contacts

Sen. Bill Rabon

919 733 5963

Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov

Sen. Michael Lee

919 715 2525

Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov

Sen. Tom McInnis

919 733 5953

Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov

Rep. Reece Pyrtle

919 733 5779

Reece.Pyrtle@ncleg.gov

Rep. Brenden Jones

919 733 5821

Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov

Rep. Neal Jackson

919 715 4946

Neal.Jackson@ncleg.gov

Rep. Donnie Loftis

919 733 5809

Donnie.Loftis@ncleg.gov

I will include all of the email addresses separated by commas in the comments so they can be easily copied and pasted into the BCC field to email all members at once.

If you can take a moment to reach out, even a short respectful message can help. This is moving quickly and decisions being made now will shape the outcome.

If you haven't completed the advocacy email challenge yet, please take a few minutes to do it.

This isn't just a practice exercise. It's about making sure you're ready when opportunities to protect 7oh come up.

Right now, the HHS comment period is open, and comments are due July 5. Thousands of thoughtful personal stories could make a real difference.

If you've already written your story and saved it, you're ahead of the game. You can copy, paste, make a few edits if needed, and send it to multiple recipients in just a couple of minutes.

Your personal story is one of the most powerful advocacy tools you have. Legislators and government agencies don't just need statistics. They need to hear from real people whose lives have been impacted.

If you've been putting off the challenge because you weren't sure what to write, don't worry about making it perfect. Just tell your story in your own words. Once it's written, save it in your Notes app. You'll be able to reuse it over and over whenever we need to take action in the future.

I'll include links to both the original Weekly Challenge post and the HHS comment post in the comments below. If you can take a few minutes today to complete the challenge and then submit your HHS comment before the July 5 deadline, it would help more than you know.

The more people who already have their stories written, saved, and ready to send, the stronger and faster our community can respond when it matters most.

Every voice matters. I hope you'll add yours.

If you haven't completed the advocacy email challenge yet, please take a few minutes to do it.

This isn't just a practice exercise. It's about making sure you're ready when opportunities to protect 7oh come up.

Right now, the HHS comment period is open, and comments are due July 5th. Thousands of thoughtful personal stories could make a real difference.

If you've already written your story and saved it, you're ahead of the game. You can copy, paste, make a few edits if needed, and send it to multiple recipients in just a couple of minutes.

Your personal story is one of the most powerful advocacy tools you have. Legislators and government agencies don't just need statistics. They need to hear from real people whose lives have been impacted.

If you've been putting off the challenge because you weren't sure what to write, don't worry about making it perfect. Just tell your story in your own words. Once it's written, save it in your Notes app. You'll be able to reuse it over and over whenever we need to take action in the future.

I'll include links to both the original Weekly Challenge post and the HHS comment post in the comments below. If you can take a few minutes today to complete the challenge and then submit your HHS comment before the July 5th deadline, it would help more than you know.

The more people who already have their stories written, saved, and ready to send, the stronger and faster our community can respond when it matters most.

Every voice matters. I hope you'll add yours.

We constantly have 7oh hit pieces in the media, including social media. When there's an option to comment, let's flood the comments about how 7oh helps us. Call out any misinformation you read. Obviously remain civil in your comments.

For this particular article you have to make an account to comment. I just signed up through my Google account. It's was a bit slow and glitchy but I was able to leave a comment about how 7oh helps me.

If you haven't participated in our first weekly challenge yet, please do🙏 It includes writing a generic email about how 7oh helps you and why it shouldn't be banned. Save it to your notes app so you have it on hand when we need everyone's help with emailing legislators during ban proposals. It also helps having it saved for times like this when we want to comment to counteract all of the misinformation and fear mongering.

Link to Weekly Challenge #1 Here: https://www.reddit.com/r/7_hydroxymitragynine/s/ZJJNBLGfqn

If someone contacts you claiming to be a reporter working on a 7oh article, asks you to participate in a study, or makes a post in the community looking for interviews or study participants, please do not engage until the mod team has confirmed who they are and what their intentions are.

There are people out there who may not be acting in good faith and could twist your words or take them out of context to fit a narrative. Sometimes these posts may be seen by members before a moderator has a chance to review and remove them, so please don't assume someone is legitimate just because their post is visible.

Before responding to anyone, reach out to the mod team so we can verify them first.

Please stay safe and protect yourself and the community🙏💚

We have amazing news… AB 1088 is off the table!

​

Under mounting pressure from stakeholders and lack of enthusiasm among her colleagues, author Assembly member Jasmeet Bains has withdrawn her bill, AB 1088, from being heard in the Senate Health Committee tomorrow, 6/17!

​

Thanks to all of your letters and calls, willingness to show up, alongside HART lobbyists, and our entire 7 HOPE Alliance team, we have SAVED 7oh and kratom in California for this legislative session!!

Congratulations to everyone!

​

We have amazing news… AB 1088 is off the table!

​

Under mounting pressure from stakeholders and lack of enthusiasm among her colleagues, author Assembly member Jasmeet Bains has withdrawn her bill, AB 1088, from being heard in the Senate Health Committee tomorrow, 6/17!

​

Thanks to all of your letters and calls, willingness to show up, alongside HART lobbyists, and our entire 7 HOPE Alliance team, we have SAVED 7oh and kratom in California for this legislative session!!

Congratulations to everyone!

​

This week’s challenge is focused on helping people write and send their first advocacy email for 7oh. Even if you've already written emails it would be helpful for everyone if you posted yours in the comments.

Many supporters have never contacted legislators before, and this is a simple way to practice drafting a personal email that can be reused in the future when real legislative alerts occur. 

Your task is to write a short email about why 7oh matters to you, how it has impacted your life, and why you believe adults should continue to have access to it. It does not need to be formal or perfect. Just your personal experience in your own words. 

Please post your email in the comments so others can read it and get ideas for their own. 

After you write it, save a copy in your Notes app so you can use it as your personal template in the future. 

When you are ready, send your email and put both of the following emails in the BCC line: reddit.takes.action@gmail.com, melissa@7hopealliance.org. Doing this step shows how you can easily email multiple legislators at once which makes it quick and easy.

By sending an email to melissa@7hopealliance.org, you understand that the 7 Hope Alliance will be able to view your email and email address. If you are not already subscribed, you may receive future legislative updates and advocacy alerts. 

This week’s goal is simple: complete your first 7oh advocacy email and help build a community that is ready to speak up when it matters.

I pinned the emails to send your practice email to in the comments. All you need to do is copy and paste them into the BCC line, then copy and paste your practice email into the body. For the subject line, you can put something like Reddit Challenge or Weekly Challenge.