{"id":2386,"date":"2026-07-09T05:05:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T05:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2386"},"modified":"2026-07-09T05:05:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T05:05:09","slug":"dea-moves-to-ban-gas-station-heroin-sold-openly-in-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2386","title":{"rendered":"DEA moves to ban \u2018gas station heroin\u2019 sold openly in Hawaii"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) &#8211; The Drug Enforcement Administration has filed a notice of intent to ban 7-OH and two related synthetic compounds, MGM-15 and MGM-16, saying the substances have no medical purpose and are dangerous. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2384\">California man sentenced for drug trafficking, money laundering conspiracy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If the temporary ban takes effect, selling the products would become a federal crime.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the products are sold over the counter in Hawaii with no age restrictions.<\/p>\n<h2>What would be banned<\/h2>\n<p>The DEA\u2019s notice, filed this month, would classify 7-OH, MGM-15, and MGM-16 as Schedule I controlled substances \u2014 the same category as heroin and LSD. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The synthetic compounds are found in gummies, drinks, tablets, and pills often in colorful packaging targeting teens and young adults.<\/p>\n<p>Gary Yabuta, director of Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program said the DEA\u2019s position is clear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re saying that this drug has no medicinal value and it should be prohibited point blank across the board,\u201d Yabuta said.<\/p>\n<h2>Health and safety concerns<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Christina Wang, medical director of the Hawaii Health &amp; Harm Reduction Center (HHHRC) said the substances carry a high risk of addiction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is an opioid-like substance that sits on the opioid receptor in the brain \u2014 and quickly people become very addicted,\u201d Wang said. <\/p>\n<p>HHHRC helps treat people with addiction.<\/p>\n<p>Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director James Ireland said EMS has responded to overdose calls involving 7-OH. Ireland said the increase has been notable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrior to maybe this year or last year, there were zero, and so just even having a few has caught our attention,\u201d Ireland said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2383\">Shoreline restoration project begins at Sand Island<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Yabuta said the potency of the MGM compounds makes them especially dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMGM-15 and 16, you\u2019re talking about a drug that is 240 times stronger than morphine. So you\u2019re talking about something that\u2019s in the fentanyl category. People are dying from this,\u201d Yabuta said.<\/p>\n<p>Honolulu has recorded deaths where MGM was found in the patient\u2019s system during an autopsy.<\/p>\n<p>Some states have exacted age restrictions to purchase the products, but not Hawaii.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<h2>Local enforcement<\/h2>\n<p>Honolulu Police Chief David Lazar said his department would also enforce any federal ban.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf it becomes illegal, we have to act on it,\u201d Lazar said his officers would make sure the products are not being sold, \u201cin the open at the smoke shops and at the convenience stores\u201d as they are now.<\/p>\n<h2>Kratom not affected<\/h2>\n<p>The proposed ban would not affect kratom products. Experts note that while 7-OH and the MGM compounds are related to kratom \u2014 a Southeast Asian plant sometimes used for pain relief or as a stimulant \u2014 the synthetic versions are significantly more potent and addictive.<\/p>\n<h2>Treatment available<\/h2>\n<p>Narcan can be used in the event of an overdose because 7-OH and MGM-15, MGM-16 are an opioid.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Wang said HHHRC uses Buprenorphine to treat the addiction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s been effective at helping people get off these substances very safely. So it\u2019s really important to find a provider that\u2019s experienced with using buprenorphine,\u201d Wang said.<\/p>\n<p>The notice of intent is expected to become a temporary ban next month. The federal government is taking public testimony on the notice.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2381\">The Rally Point: Canada\u2019s role in RIMPAC<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The substances 7-OH, MGM-15 and MGM-16 are found in gummies, drinks, tablets, and pills often in colorful packaging targeting teens and young adults.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>DEA moves to ban \u2018gas station heroin\u2019 sold openly in Hawaii - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2386\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DEA moves to ban \u2018gas station heroin\u2019 sold openly in Hawaii - 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