Federal agents seize thousands of 7-OH products from Kansas City's American Shaman

David Hudnall, The Kansas City Star on Nov 24, 2025

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Federal authorities have seized thousands of bottles, shots, tablets and packets containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, from two facilities owned by CBD American Shaman founder Vince Sanders, The Kansas City Star has learned.

Rumored for weeks, the seizure was confirmed in a civil forfeiture case filed Friday in the U.S. District Court of Western Missouri.

According to the court filing, investigators with the Food and Drug Administration made unannounced visits to 1501 Iron St. in North Kansas City and 2461 NW Tullison Road in Riverside on Nov. 12.

Investigators subsequently issued detention orders for products containing 7-OH — a legal step that bars the seized items from being moved, sold or distributed while the government pursues forfeiture. In effect, the products are frozen in place as potential evidence of violations of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Neither Sanders nor his attorney, Nick Porto, responded to a request for comment.

The enforcement action marks the most direct federal move yet against the rapidly expanding 7-OH market. The compound — a highly addictive, lab-made derivative of kratom that is sold unregulated in smoke shops and gas stations — has surged across Missouri and other states despite questions about safety, legality and oversight.

The seizure also comes after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced last week that her office has launched its own probe into CBD American Shaman and its sale of 7-OH products.

FDA ramping up 7-OH enforcement

Sanders’ role in the 7-OH business had already drawn the FDA’s attention once before.

In June, the agency issued a warning letter to Shaman Botanicals — the manufacturing arm of his operation — over its production of 7-OH products, which the FDA has said is 13 times more potent than morphine and prohibited in dietary supplements and conventional foods.

Shaman Botanicals responded to the FDA’s letter in August with arguments from researchers who said current science supports the safety of 7-OH and that the drug has “no unreasonable risk of overdose deaths” based on reviews of nationwide databases.

Sanders and others continued to produce and sell 7-OH products even after the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services formally recommended in July that the Drug Enforcement Administration classify 7-OH as a Schedule I substance alongside heroin and cocaine.

“Sales are actually up since that FDA announcement,” Sanders told the Star in September.

In addition to selling a line of 7-OH pills called Advanced Alkaloids online and at his CBD American Shaman retail shops, Sanders also white-labels 7-OH products for other brands through Shaman Botanicals. The company is believed to be one of the largest 7-OH manufacturers in the country, but Sanders has previously declined to name the companies for which Shaman Botanicals makes 7-OH products.

The court filing suggests there are dozens. FDA investigators seized products from 30 different 7-OH brands at Shaman Botanicals’ Riverside facility earlier this month. Those brands include: Advanced Alkaloids; EDP; 777 Jackpot; 777 White Vein Energy; 7-OH Home Remedies; 7-O’Heaven; 7Roxy; 7th Sky; AMG; Cheech & Chong’s Kosmic Ludes; Dope Ohmz; Fizzy 7OH; Hyroxi Advanced Botanical; Krushed the Lifter; Lux / Luxx 7OH Aura Deluxxe; Mood / Mood Pseudo; On Occurs Naturally / On7 / Scripts; PUUR; Rise With Us; Rize; Sevens; Sevoxy; The 7OH Company; Trance Barz; Vega 7X; Viva!; You Topia; and Zana Seven.

In all, according to the filing, the FDA seized roughly 8,000 bottles of liquid shots or packages of 7-OH between the two facilities.

The Justice Department is asking a judge to approve a warrant so U.S. marshals can formally take possession of the detained products. After that, the court will set a deadline for anyone with a legal interest in the seized items — including American Shaman and any companies that purchased 7-OH from American Shaman — to file a claim to contest the forfeiture.

If no claims are filed, or if the court upholds the government’s action, the products can be condemned and destroyed. If companies intervene, the process could involve additional hearings to determine whether the government has the right to permanently confiscate the items.

It is unclear if Sanders or his companies will contest the forfeiture.

American Shaman and Sanders were a central focus of a three-part Kansas City Star investigation earlier this year that examined the company’s role in bringing synthetic 7-OH products into mainstream retail markets.

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