KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. She has also been following 7-OH updates as part of her Strong High Weak Laws series. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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FDA agents seized nearly 10,000 products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, from a Kansas City-based company's manufacturing warehouses.
According to federal court documents filed on Friday, Nov. 21, the FDA confiscated 8,819 7-OH-related products during an operation on Nov. 12 at American Shaman's facilities in North Kansas City and Riverside.
The products were seized in a civil forfeiture action in rem, meaning the products are suspected of being involved in a crime.
KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne has been amplifying the community's concerns about 7-OH and how easily accessible it has become in the metro.
Strong High Weak Laws explores how 7-OH, a derivative of the natural herbal plant kratom, has been reported to be highly addictive, has adverse effects, and is completely unregulated in Missouri and Kansas.
American Shaman manufactures, holds, and distributes food and dietary supplement products that are labeled to contain 7-OH.
"The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated publicly that 7-OH is not lawful in dietary supplements, cannot be lawfully added to conventional foods, has not been FDA approved for any medical use and that consumption of 7-OH may be dangerous and lead to serious harm," court filings in Missouri's Western District Court state.
The document does not specifically list American Shaman or its other name, CBD Shaman Botanicals, as the company involved. The documents state the FDA sent a warning letter to the involved company on June 25, 2025, regarding the production and sale of 7-OH products, which violates the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
American Shaman and its founder, Vince Sanders, received an FDA warning letter on June 25, 2025.
American Shaman's website lists its franchise headquarters at 1501 Iron St., North Kansas City, Missouri, which was one of the two warehouses listed in the FDA's seizure operations. Employees at a neighboring business confirmed to Ledonne on Nov. 12, the day of the seizure, American Shaman operated out of 2461 NW Tullison Road, Riverside, Missouri.
During the operation at American Shaman's manufacturing facility on Iron Street, FDA agents took 978 Advanced Alkaloid packets labeled or appearing to contain 7-OH. The seizure at American Shaman's Riverside location took 7,841 7-OH-related products, including tablets and liquid shots.
All 8,819 products are still under the FDA's custody and control.
The FDA has taken steps to regulate and address the production and sale of 7-OH across the country. Kratom, the plant in which 7-OH is naturally found in low amounts, is not federally regulated.
A spokesperson from the FDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided Ledonne with a statement regarding the widespread availability of 7-OH.
"The availability of 7-OH products is a major concern to the FDA and the agency is actively working to protect Americans from this dangerous, illegal opioid," a spokesperson wrote.
The FDA and HHS are recommending scheduling 7-OH as a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which is the same category as heroin.
"The FDA’s action specifically targets concentrated 7-OH products, such as gummies, drink shots, and other additives, not natural kratom leaf products, which contain only trace amounts of 7-OH and are not the focus of this regulatory push," a spokesperson wrote to KSHB 41 News. "The FDA’s actions are grounded in emerging evidence that 7-OH is significantly more potent than morphine, and can lead to respiratory depression, addiction, withdrawal, and other serious health effects."
The FDA seizure operation of American Shaman came just a week before Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced an investigation into 7-OH retailers in the state, including American Shaman.
American Shaman and its founder, Sanders, learned how to produce concentrated synthetic 7-OH in a pure tablet form. Local experts have reported the effects to be 25% to 40% stronger than morphine, providing an opiate-like high.
7-OH is being sold in gas stations, smoke shops, and retail fronts across the metro and country. Some have coined it as "gas station heroin."
"We are deeply concerned that Missourians are being sold drug-like substances under the guise of harmless supplements, with no FDA approval, no safety testing and, in some cases, no meaningful disclosure of what these products actually contain," Hanaway said in her Nov. 20 announcement. "Companies that mislead consumers or place them at risk will be held accountable."
The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council approved an ordinance in early November asking the city manager to look into regulating kratom and its derivative products, like 7-OH. Kansas City would be one of the first municipalities in the state to consider regulating the substance and its sales.
KSHB 41 News reached out to Sanders for a comment, but we did not hear back by the time of this story's publication.
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