New York is moving to ban the sale of a synthetic form of kratom known as 7OH, a product sometimes referred to as gas station heroin because of how widely and openly it is sold. State lawmakers in Albany backed the measure unanimously, and the bill is now headed to Governor Hochul's desk. Her office says she will review the legislation, and if she signs it, New York would become the eighth state to take this kind of action against the product.
Kratom in its natural form has long been sold at gas stations and convenience stores, but officials say the concern centers on a semi-synthetic, highly concentrated version. According to one expert quoted on the measure, kratom is a psychoactive substance that acts like opioids, and the 7OH version is being created semi-synthetically at very high potency, then sold openly to the public in gas stations and vape shops with little oversight.
The push in Albany was shaped in part by personal accounts of how quickly the product can take hold. Wading River resident Camden Ackerman said kratom became part of everyday life after he turned to it while dealing with severe back pain, describing the experience as a downward spiral. He said he eventually went through treatment for both alcohol and kratom addiction, framing his recovery around the days he could wake up and not use it.
Medical providers say the effects are showing up in their facilities. One doctor said their detox program now sees at least one patient every day who is there specifically because of 7OH. Part of the problem, providers say, is that many people do not fully understand what they are buying, given how casually the product is displayed alongside ordinary items on store shelves.
The statewide bill follows action at the county level on Long Island. Nassau County passed its own measure banning the sale of kratom products in March, while in Suffolk County a vote on a potential ban was delayed in April. The unanimous support in Albany reflects how the issue has moved from a local concern to a broader legislative response across New York.
Retailers say the change could affect their business. At Legacy Smoke Shop in East Northport, the store manager said hundreds of people come in looking for 7OH, estimating more than 300 customers a week, and noted that demand had grown partly because of the existing restrictions in Nassau County drawing in new faces. The manager said they hoped there would be some legal alternative that stores would still be permitted to sell.
For now, the decision rests with the governor. Her office has said only that she will review the legislation, leaving open when or whether it will be signed. If it is enacted, New York would join seven other states that have already moved to restrict or ban the synthetic product, marking one of the more significant steps the state has taken against an item that has, until now, been sold freely at counters across the region.