When you buy alcohol, tobacco and pot, you know what you're getting because those industries are regulated. But when it comes Kratom, it's like the wild wild West. And now concerns are growing about its powerful, synthetic derivative called 7 O-H.

Canton Township police say the concern is that the labels don't always match the chemical compounds found in the product. Because 7-OH is being sold as a food supplement, the state's agricultural department is working with local police agencies.


 I know enough right now that the product isn't healthy and that was enough for me to say we need to get it off our shelves,  said Canton Township police chief Joseph Bialy.

Canton police are warning the public about 7-OH, a synthetic derivative of kratom that mimics heroin and is easy to buy.  We're seeing psychedelic effects. We're seeing some health concerns. We're seeing some adverse reactions,  Chief Bialy said.

 With 7-OH, the synthetic is being mixed with other chemicals, and that's really where my concern comes in. The labeling, very bright colors, sometimes cartoonish characters on the front. And again, it's taking up more and more shelf space in there,  Bialy said.

Kratom is not currently regulated or approved by the FDA. And many of the 7-OH products being sold as pills or powders are coming from overseas.

 Nobody would just go find a pill and just go consume it, right? That'd be a bad idea. Well, what we're seeing in that packaging is somewhat the same premise,  the chief said.

Canton Township has an ordinance that was just approved by their board, called the  Kratom and Unsafe Psychoactive Substance Regulation'. It aims to regulate the sale of kratom, prohibit synthetic products and prohibit the sale of Kratom to anyone under the age of 21.

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