Politics
Conflicts abound in new Florida push against kratom compound
A new nonprofit, the Global Kratom Coalition (GKC), has launched a highly funded campaign to restrict Floridians’ access to 7-Hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH.
This echoes efforts by GKC to ban the product in Texas, Arizona and Tennessee, and an unsuccessful legislative attempt (AB 2365) in California.
Consumers familiar with 7-OH might find this bizarre: Research into 7-OH has shown this alkaloid from the kratom plant to have a strong safety profile and effective pain relief potential to make it a promising alternative to traditional opioids.
Initial research indicates no abuse potential, which was a key factor in the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to reject efforts to ban Kratom and 7-OH, stating that, by contrast, “there is significant risk of immediate adverse public health consequences for potentially millions of users if kratom and its components” were controlled as Schedule 1 drugs.
Certainly, 7-OH is an adult product that needs proper government oversight. That’s why the two leading organizations in the space, the American Kratom Association and the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust, have signed a joint agreement to work with lawmakers and regulators to ensure that 7-OH products are properly regulated by states and kept out of the hands of minors.
So why on earth does GKC want to deny access to 7-OH products? It’s a classic bait-and-switch: raising illegitimate concerns about a competitor to hide legitimate concerns about their own product.
And meet J.W. Ross, the huckster and convicted embezzler behind this effort.
Ross, the founder of the Global Kratom Coalition, is best known as the founder of Botanic Tonics, manufacturer of the massively successful kava shot Feel Free. Tragically, not long after unwitting consumers exposed to his marketing bonanza began using Feel Free, they discovered the product was highly addictive, leading them on a downward spiral of increasing usage, illness and even death.
According to the L.A. Times, after Californian Romulo Torres was lured into using the product by targeted social media ads, he experienced psychosis, delirium, vomiting and loss of consciousness. Seeking to join together with other victims of Feel Free, he filed a class action lawsuit against J.W. Ross and Botanic Tonics. The class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Northern District of California contains disturbing claims about the manufacturing of Feel Free.
New York Times bestselling author Scott Carney investigated the controversy in a comprehensive YouTube video, and was contacted by Ross himself. Ross informed Carney that he had been sentenced to nine years in jail for embezzling millions of dollars.
Policymakers are just starting to grapple with the problem. Recently, the Utah Department of Agriculture delisted Feel Free and other products containing kava and kratom from their Registered Products list.
With regulators and policymakers on their backs, GKC is mounting a furious effort to scapegoat 7-OH as a means to distract attention from their problematic product.
Ross certainly has put his money where his mouth is. GKC led the effort to pass AB 2365 (a 7-OH ban) in California, and even contributed $11,000 to state Rep. Matt Haney’s re-election campaign shortly after Haney introduced AB 2365.
Worse yet, the GKC also pledged $250,000 to the University of Florida (UF) Foundation ostensibly to establish a new fund dedicated to research on kratom. Just after receiving this promise of funding, at the behest of the GKC, four UF Ph.D.s drafted a confidential statement, devoid of any data or references to any existing research, attacking 7-OH products and manufacturers.
Why would UF officials be so vocal against 7-OH, despite having performed no human studies on the compound? As Upton Sinclair famously said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”
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President Donald Trump made clear who he wants as the next Governor of Florida.
In a Truth Social post, Trump all but endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds to run as the state’s next chief executive in 2026.
“I am hearing that Highly Respected Congressman Byron Donalds is considering running for Governor of Florida, a State that I love, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” Trump posted.
The President noted his familiarity with Donalds, whom he considered for his running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign, and with his family, including school choice advocate Erika Donalds.
“I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!” Trump posted. “Byron has a great wife, Erika, and three beautiful sons. They are very proud of him! As Governor, Byron would have a BIG Voice, and would work closely with me to advance our America First Agenda. He will fight tirelessly to Secure our Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military, Protect our Vets, Restore our Economic Power, Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always-under-siege Second Amendment.”
Donalds, a Naples Republican, indeed has taken several steps that signal a likely run for Governor, including bringing on prominent campaign staffers like Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio.
Earlier, Trump hinted that he wants to see Donalds seek higher office. Just last week, he shared a Victory Insights poll first reported by Florida Politics that had Donalds leading a field of contenders for Governor.
That poll notably didn’t include First Lady Casey DeSantis, who has polled well since signaling more serious consideration of running herself. Of course, DeSantis was also a fixture alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis when he unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the Republican nomination last year, something the President likely has not forgotten.
Trump’s latest post goes a step further and encourages Donalds to formally run, promising to receive arguably the most important endorsement in Republican politics right now.
“Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump posted. “RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
This isn’t the first statewide race in 20266 where Trump has weighed in. He also gave an early endorsement to state Sen. Joe Gruters for Florida Chief Financial Officer shortly before the Sarasota Republican formally filed for the Cabinet post.
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