Inspectors are cracking down on what state leaders call a “highly addictive” chemical found in some goods sold to South Florida teens and young adults.
James Uthmeier, Florida’s attorney general, took emergency action in August to ban all sales of 7-Hydromitragynine, known as 7-OH. Two months later, the industry’s response is sending a message too.
“The majority of the big smoke shops or distributors or processors have withdrawn the product from the market, which is great,” Dr. Myriam Perdomo Pabon, a supervisor for the Division of Food Safety within the Florida Department of Agriculture, said. “They are aware of the danger and I am not aware that we have found any resistance.”
Inspectors remove products during shop visits
CBS News Miami followed Perdomo Pabon’s team as they inspected a smoke shop to ensure compliance with Uthmeier’s order. Inspectors carried packing tape and cardboard boxes inside DragNVape, then began cataloging every item in the store.
The inspectors examined the certificate of authenticity for products to determine if items contained any controlled substance. The owner of the store did not respond to requests for comment from CBS News Miami.
Inspectors found just a few capsules that contained 7-OH.
“They were aware of the emergency rule,” Perdomo Pabon said.
Inspectors quarantined the items inside the store and sent them to an incinerator, which is standard protocol.
“We bag (them),” Perdomo Pabon said. “We box (them). We identify them. We ask the facility where they want to place them because these products cannot be moved.”
Dozens of stores flagged in early enforcement
CBS News Miami examined records for 7-OH emergency inspections statewide.
In the first two weeks of enforcement, inspectors reported finding 7-OH in 39 stores while stopping more than 600 sales in Florida.
Perdomo Pabon’s team continues to inspect smoke shops and convenience stores that sell goods that could potentially contain 7-OH.
