7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) is an opioid. It occurs naturally in only trace amounts in the kratom plant. The concentrated 7-OH in shots, gummies, and tablets sold at gas stations and smoke shops is most likely made by chemically converting mitragynine, kratom's main alkaloid, according to the FDA. It acts on the same brain receptors as morphine, and daily use can lead to dependence, with opioid withdrawal when you stop.
Walk into almost any gas station, smoke shop, or convenience store in America and you'll find colorful shots, gummies, and capsules marketed as natural relaxants, mood boosters, or botanical supplements. Several of these products contain powerfully addictive — and in some cases deadly — substances, often sold openly, even in states that restrict them. This is not a fringe problem. It is a national public health crisis that most people have never heard of.
ZaZa is a brand name, not a separate drug. The FDA lists it among tianeptine products. Check the ingredient label on anything sold under that name.
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) is a compound derived from kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia. While traditional kratom leaf has been used for generations at low doses, manufacturers now sell concentrated 7-OH in shots, gummies, and capsules far stronger than kratom leaf. The result is a cheap, widely available opioid that sidesteps the safeguards around prescription pain medications. It is sold without a prescription, and sometimes in violation of state law.
Gas stations, smoke shops, vape stores, convenience stores, and online. Often displayed near the register. Brand names change constantly. Look for “7-OH” or “7-hydroxymitragynine” on the label.
People with chronic pain seeking a "natural" alternative to opioids. People trying to manage opioid withdrawal on their own. Workers seeking energy boosts. Athletes. Anyone with anxiety looking for relief. The marketing deliberately targets vulnerable people.
2-oz liquid shots resembling energy drinks, gummies, capsules, powders. Packaging uses leaves, mountains, and wellness imagery. 7-OH content is rarely clearly labeled. Age limits depend on the state. Florida, for example, bans selling any kratom product, including extracts, to anyone under 21. Enforcement varies, and the FDA warns that kids can buy 7-OH products at gas stations and convenience stores.
At low doses: mild stimulation, mood lift, pain relief. At higher doses: sedation, euphoria identical to opioids. Side effects: nausea, constipation, dizziness, liver stress. With regular use: tolerance builds rapidly, and dependence can develop with regular daily use.
Kratom and 7-OH laws differ by state and are changing fast. Florida controls concentrated 7-OH products under a state emergency rule, and Rhode Island now licenses kratom sales while banning synthetic 7-OH. Check your state's current law.
Federal: on August 26, 2026 the DEA placed three 7-OH-related synthetics (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16) in Schedule I. In July 2026 the DEA announced it intends to temporarily place 7-OH above a set threshold in Schedule I; HHS took public comments on that threshold through September 10, 2026. As of September 28, 2026, no order for 7-OH itself has been published. When it is, it takes effect the day it publishes.
7-OH withdrawal is medically significant. Addiction medicine clinicians are treating 7-OH dependence with buprenorphine (Suboxone), the same medication used for opioid use disorder. Early case reports are encouraging; there are no clinical trials yet. Do not stop abruptly. Tell your doctor exactly what you've been taking and how much. We wrote the full day-by-day timeline: what 7-OH withdrawal actually feels like.
Tianeptine is a pharmaceutical antidepressant approved in some European and Asian countries — but never approved by the FDA in the United States. That hasn't stopped manufacturers from marketing it as a "dietary supplement" at gas stations, smoke shops, and online. It is one of the most misunderstood and dangerous substances in the gas station drug category.
At prescribed therapeutic doses, tianeptine acts on serotonin. At the high doses people are typically taking for recreational or self-medication purposes, it acts powerfully on opioid receptors — producing euphoria and sedation nearly indistinguishable from opioid drugs. Dependence can develop within weeks. The withdrawal is severe.
ZaZa Red, ZaZa Silver, TD Red, Neptune's Fix, Tianna, Stablon (pharmaceutical name). Often sold as a "dietary supplement" or "nootropic." Packaging looks legitimate and wellness-oriented.
Opioid-level dependence develops quickly. High doses cause intense euphoria followed by deep sedation. Overdose risk increases sharply with higher doses. When mixed with alcohol or other CNS depressants, it can stop breathing.
Severe: extreme anxiety, vomiting, muscle cramps, cold sweats, suicidal ideation. Withdrawal begins within hours of last dose and can last weeks. Medical supervision is strongly recommended.
Tianeptine is a controlled substance in a growing number of states, including Florida, where it is Schedule I. The FDA has warned consumers not to use it. State laws change often; check yours.
Xylazine is a veterinary sedative used to anesthetize large animals like horses and cattle. It has no approved medical use in humans. It is not a federally controlled substance, but Florida and other states have made illicit xylazine illegal. And it is now found in the illicit fentanyl supply across most of the United States — mixed in by drug traffickers to extend the duration of the high and increase the weight of the product.
Initially concentrated in Philadelphia and the Northeast, xylazine/fentanyl ("tranq dope") has spread to every region of the country, with some of the fastest recent increases in the South and West. People are often unaware they are using it — it is mixed into street drugs without the user's knowledge.
Deepens and extends sedation beyond what fentanyl produces alone. Naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse the xylazine part of an overdose. Produces distinctive skin wounds — open sores and necrotic lesions — even in non-injection areas. Researchers are still working out exactly why.
"Tranq wounds" — severe, often infected skin ulcers — are appearing in people who use street drugs, often away from injection sites. Some clinicians report them even in people who smoke or snort rather than inject. These wounds can become infected, spread to bone, and in severe cases require amputation. Wound care is now a major part of xylazine harm reduction.
Administer Narcan — it will address the opioid component. But continue rescue breathing. Call 911 regardless of whether they respond to Narcan. Xylazine sedation requires emergency medical support that naloxone cannot provide.
The U.S. is only beginning to see the full consequences of gas station drugs. These substances are sold legally, packaged to look harmless, marketed aggressively to people in pain, and purchased by people who don't know they're using an opioid-equivalent. Many first-time users have no prior history with controlled substances.
States are starting to act — tianeptine has been banned in several states, kratom legislation is moving — but federal regulation has been slow, and the industry is large, profitable, and litigious. Public awareness is the most powerful tool available right now.
If you or someone you know regularly uses any product from a gas station or smoke shop that is supposed to make you feel calm, euphoric, or pain-free — please read the information above and talk to a doctor. You may be more dependent than you know.