‘A Demon in Tablet Form’: Young Eastern Shore Man Warns of 7-OH Addiction

By Linda Cicoira

An addictive drug is being sold over the counter at several locations on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It is legal for storeowners to distribute it to those who are 21 and older until Aug. 5, when it will become a Schedule I drug.

No, it isn’t nicotine or caffeine, although those can be addictive and can be purchased most anywhere. This potent substance, 7-OH, or Hydroxymitragynine, is said to be 13 times stronger than morphine and is known as “gas station heroin.”

Those who bought and have taken it are having a hard time kicking the habit.

Also, not everyone who has purchased it locally has been old enough to do so legally. A young man, who spoke with the guarantee of anonymity, said this week that he started taking it in high school.

“I discovered it while in the vape store and saw these tablet packs that had different flavors and decided to look it up and saw it helped with anxiety and made you just feel happier, so I bought it and tried it out,” he said. “I was around 17 or 18 at that time.”

“I ended up actually taking it the next day,” he continued. “At the time, … it was around $40 for a pack of five tablets; each tab had four servings. It comes in gummies, tabs, and … in a liquid form,” he said.

Until recently, he hadn’t spoken to anyone about the pills. “The vape store guy has never tried to pitch the product to me,” the man said. “It’s more of an instance where I saw something that I didn’t think would be insanely toxic and basically like a demon in tablet form on a vape store shelf.”

“I attempted to quit maybe two weeks after (first ingesting it) for around four days,” he continued. “But went through extreme withdrawal. I couldn’t sleep, lost my appetite, had insane body aches, anxiety, and (it was) overall probably the worst experience in my life.”

He said he ran out a few times. “With it being more on the expensive side, it was more of a money issue, and I had to find a way to get it so I didn’t completely lose myself. I’ve had ups and downs, definitely, but never suicidal thoughts.”

“I went to my mom because I knew I needed help, and she’s the only person I’d trust with something like that,” he said. “My dad doesn’t even know I’ve ever taken it or that I’m getting treatment for it.”

“I never knew something in the vape store would be basically an opioid and that was basically impossible to quit without medical intervention,” he said. “It was curiosity and the desire to have a little weight taken off my shoulders, but (it) only caused more problems and a dependence to an extremely misleading opioid-like substance.”

Last month, on July 6, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration filed a notice in the Federal Register that bans the substance beginning Aug. 5.

Across Virginia, according to the chief medical examiner’s office, two died from the drug last year and six passed away so far in 2026. Those are just the ones who were tested.

“This doesn’t tell the whole story because the Department of Forensic Science, which does most of our toxicology testing, does not have the methodology to test for … 7-OH. the medical examiner’s representative said. “These cases are ones that were tested at an outside toxicology lab.”

The drug is sold as Kratom, which is derived from tree leaves and has been used as an herbal remedy for pain in rural Asia since 1836. Initially, it was eaten whole or brewed into tea in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

In the U.S., reports of addiction and deaths are making state and federal officials take notice because synthetic kratom products, like 7-OH, have been synthesized and concentrated. Researchers with the Scientific Association for Botanical Education and Research, known as SABER, claim 7-OH products are “masquerading” as natural kratom products.

In the windows of at least two local stores, the word “Kratom” can be seen in plain print and in neon lights.

Accomack Commonwealth Attorney Spencer Morgan said Friday, “My office continues to monitor the changing legal status of kratom and 7-OH. It is exceedingly helpful that the attorney general’s office has just recently stood up a division dedicated to looking at this and similar substances.”

The young man, who is mentioned in this article, is being treated with Suboxone and Trazodone through the local community services board. No figures were available regarding how many others may have sought help.

Suboxone, often used to help heroin users, is a prescription drug containing buprenorphine and naloxone that eases withdrawal and reduces cravings. Buprenorphine attaches gently to brain opioid receptors to stop withdrawal and cravings without a heavy high. Naloxone acts as a safety block if the drug is injected improperly. It is taken once daily as a film or tablet dissolved under the tongue or in the cheek. It is touted as lowering the risk of a fatal overdose by about 50 percent. But it can still cause physical dependence or misuse if not taken as directed. Trazodone is a prescription drug used to treat depression and insomnia.

“My mom helped me by finding where I could get treatment and understanding the situation rather than just seeing me as an addict,” he said. “I would tell others to stay away from it … I’m definitely optimistic about beating it now with medication, but before it would’ve been impossible.”

His mother said she had never heard of the drug before her son disclosed his situation. She wants others to become aware “before someone dies… I can’t imagine how many kids are buying this around here,” she added.

When the woman said she mentioned the drug in conversations at work, a coworker confided that his girlfriend takes it and “she sleeps all the time, has no effort or energy and can’t not take them.”

“I’ve told so many moms at work about this over the past two days. None of them were aware it existed. All jumped online and were flabbergasted,” the mother said.

Reported Short-term side effects of using Kratom include nausea, constipation, dizziness, and dry mouth. Because kratom products are not regulated, they can contain different materials – sometimes chemicals and plants that are not related to kratom. As a result, its effects can vary from person to person. It can also interact negatively with other substances and medications, which can cause overdose and death, one report stated. Regular use can also result in stomach ulcers, and, in some cases, serious issues with the liver or other internal organs.