My name is Niko Hasapoglou, and I am writing as a proud, tax-paying Floridian, a husband, a father, and a small-business owner. I am urgently calling on you to stop the prohibition of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in Florida, and instead, pursue sensible regulation, not criminalization.
7-OH literally gave me my life back. For chronic neck pain and carpal tunnel, I rely on it daily in a maintenance regimen that allows me to be fully present at home and at work. It empowered me to finally escape the cycle of prescription pain medications—a victory that had eluded me for years.
For more than a decade, I struggled with kratom, which brought severe side effects—vomiting, stomach distress—and ultimately ceased to work. In contrast, 7-OH has reliably managed my pain without adverse health effects. It’s not exaggeration to say that it restored my quality of life.
Criminalizing 7-OH will devastate everyday Floridians like me. Regulation is absolutely warranted to ensure safety and consistent quality. But making responsible users into criminals is not the answer.
At the Tampa press conference, I was alarmed to hear no accurate, fact-based information about 7-OH presented—even though it boasts a far superior safety record compared to kratom, and has contributed to reducing deaths during the opioid crisis. It’s deeply disheartening that this decision seems based on incomplete or inaccurate data, especially when over one million Americans use 7-OH responsibly—including tens of thousands right here in Florida.
We deserve truth, not fear. We deserve regulated access, not prohibition. Banning 7-OH threatens lives, undermines our well-being, and ignores the community that relies on it. Kratom sickened me, opioids can kill, but 7-OH helped rebuild me. Don’t take away my chance for a normal life.
I urge you to protect the Floridians who count on 7-OH, and please opt for regulation instead of outright prohibition. Thank you for your time and consideration.