In this eye-opening interview on WERC News Radio, Shane Leonard, co-founder and CEO of Into Action Recovery, discusses the growing concern surrounding kratom-derived products and so-called “gas station heroin.”
As products like 7-OH become more common in convenience stores and smoke shops across the country, many families are left wondering how dangerous these substances really are and why they’re still so easy to buy.
Drawing from his experience working directly with people battling addiction, Shane explains that many of these products are far from harmless. While kratom itself comes from a Southeast Asian plant, many of the products being sold today are heavily processed, chemically altered, or mixed with other substances that can create serious health risks.
During the conversation, Shane also highlights a major challenge facing both treatment providers and families: many people underestimate these substances simply because they’re legal or sold openly in stores. But according to Shane, legality does not equal safety.
He warns that synthetic and chemically modified substances can be every bit as dangerous, and sometimes even more unpredictable, than traditional street drugs. He also stresses the importance of awareness, testing, and education as these products continue spreading across communities.
Transcript
WERC: Joining us now is Shane Leonard, an addiction expert and heading up Into Action Recovery Centers in Texas, to talk about this new thing that’s out there now, apparently, gas station heroin. I gotta tell you, Shane, welcome and thanks for being here.
It seems more and more you walk into some gas stations, and especially those with neon lights around them, and you’ll get in there, and it’s like, what the hell are they selling here? It’s just garbage everywhere. So now this thing called 7-OH is in, I guess it’s legal, but some doctors say this is pretty dangerous stuff. Help us out here. What’s going on?
SHANE LEONARD: Well, it absolutely is. In fact, most of the kratom that’s sold at gas stations or head shops, as they’re called, really don’t contain kratom. Kratom is a byproduct of a tree that comes from Southeast Asia. And, you know, it’s just the almighty buck. Anything that’ll sell, anything that’ll fly off the shelves, they’ll purvey it.
WERC: So 7-OH, this is short for seven hydroxymitrytogranin. A potent kratom derivative you’ve mentioned there. So how is it legal if it’s got potential problems like we’re talking about?
SHANE: Well, the FDA has not done a ton of research, by the way. The most recent statistics I could find were from 2019, which the FDA has done, and they cite three point two million cases. Well, we have 109 beds at Into Action, and I think we’ve seen three point two million cases in ten years. So, that number is a skew. And you know, so they just change a few ingredients, repackage it…
I was reading about this this weekend, and I was fascinated, like the brand that you spoke about. And they give you pointers online on what to look for in a high-quality kratom.
WERC: Well, it’s deadly, isn’t it?
SHANE: Absolutely. It’s deadly. I have a dear friend of mine whose fiancée at the time overdosed and died.
WERC: So why aren’t the authorities coming in and going, “no”? This stuff’s garbage. Get it out of here. Why aren’t we getting moving faster on this? How do things like this get past, you know, the authorities?
SHANE: You know, I think it’s just like synthetic marijuana, bath salts, those types of things. They seem rather benign. And we have one of our bigger challenges is with the families. Well, he’s only using kratom. He’s only using K1, this synthetic marijuana.
My goodness, man. This stuff is every bit more dangerous because it’s all chemicals.
WERC: It’s unbelievable. Just outrageous. So anything being done, to crack down on this right now, since I mean, we’re talking about it. I would’ve thanked the authorities are saying, “Alright. We gotta take care of this.”
SHANE: Well, we’ve taken it upon ourselves, at Into Action, to you know, I couldn’t even believe this, but we belong to a lot of networking things, you know, with other treatment centers. You know, more than half the treatment centers in Houston, that’s about 20, you know, accredited, real bona fide treatment centers, and only about half of those people even test for kratom.
WERC: Yeah. Well, it’s awful stuff, parents. Be aware of what’s going on out there. Thank you so much. I appreciate you, Shane.
Kratom Addiction Treatment at Into Action Recovery
If you or someone you love is using kratom, 7-OH, or another substance sold in smoke shops, gas stations, or online, it is important to take the warning signs seriously. Just because a product is legal or easy to buy does not mean it is safe, and many families do not realize how dangerous these substances can become until dependence, withdrawal, or overdose risk is already present.
At Into Action Recovery, our team understands how quickly substance use can escalate, especially when products are marketed as “natural,” “legal,” or harmless. If you are concerned about kratom use, synthetic substances, opioids, alcohol, or another form of addiction, help is available.
Contact Into Action Recovery today to speak with someone who understands what you are going through and can help you take the next step toward treatment.