Kratom & 7-OH

July 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Kratom is a plant extract from Southeast Asia that has been sold for years in American gas stations and corner stores, advertised as a supplement for pain relief and energy. But in 2023, a much stronger derivative called 7-OH hit the market, and it is now being sold over the counter in many states with little to no regulation. The host, David Farrier, first noticed kratom signs in New York and posted a photo to Instagram—only to be banned from going live for a year for violating community standards on drug references. That contradiction—a substance sold openly in corner stores but treated as illicit by social media—led him to investigate what was actually happening.

In low doses, kratom acts as a stimulant. In higher doses, it has a sedating, numbing effect similar to opioids. The compound 7-OH is extracted from the kratom plant and is believed to be about 13 times more powerful than morphine. It attaches to the same opioid receptors in the brain as Percocet, OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl. And it is being sold in gas stations, often with no age restrictions, in packaging that may or may not accurately reflect what is inside.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of Flightless Bird

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (00:05) **Intro: Bailey, Kratom, and the Instagram Ban** - David and Rosabell chat about David’s dog, then David introduces the topic of Kratom and 7-OH after getting banned from Instagram Live for posting a photo of a Kratom sign.
2 (03:14) **Setting the Stage: Personal Stakes and the Drug Landscape** - David and Rob discuss their own lack of drug experience and their curiosity about America’s rapidly changing drug market.
3 (12:52) **Michael’s Story: From Kratom to 7-OH Addiction** - David interviews “Michael,” a man who became addicted to Kratom and then to the much stronger 7-OH.
4 (18:01) **The Expert View: Pat Aussem on the 7-OH Crisis** - David calls Pat Aussem from the Partnership to End Addiction to understand the scale and danger of the 7-OH market.
5 (21:53) **The Dangers of 7-OH: Overdose, Contamination, and Unknowns** - Pat explains the risks of 7-OH, including overdose (often in combination with other substances) and the lack of regulation.
6 (24:06) **Ad Break** - Sponsorship messages for Shopify, Zazzle, and Pepsi.
7 (29:11) **The Dilemma: Is Kratom a Help or a Harm?** - David and Pat discuss the argument that Kratom can help people get off stronger opioids.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob look into the proliferation of gas station drugs like kratom and the more powerful 7-OH. What are these drugs, who is using them, and why? And how are these opioid substitutes even allowed? David talks to Pat Aussem from “Partnership To End Addiction" to find out more, before meeting a man who is heavily addicted to 7-OH, who breaks down what it’s like, and how hard it is to get off them.
Join us for bonus Flightless Bird episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird
Feedback: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices