TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed an emergency rule on Wednesday to designate a certain drug as a Schedule I controlled substance in the state, according to his office.

In a release, state officials said that the order makes it illegal to sell, possess or even distribute any isolated or concentrated form of that drug, which was identified as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).

“Due to the danger posed to the public, Florida is taking 7-OH off the shelves immediately,” Uthmeier said. “This dangerous substance is being marketed to teens and young adults and has a high potential for abuse and death.”

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Per the FDA, 7-OH is a component of the plant kratom, which itself has been used to treat headaches, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, opioid-use withdrawal, and more.

However, it has also been used recreationally to induce feelings of euphoria, prompting concerns from regulators over potential abuse. FDA officials also warned that the agency has not approved any prescription or over-the-counter drug products containing kratom or 7-OH.

While 7-OH appears in trace amounts in kratom, the substance has also been concentrated to manufacture products like tablets, gummies, drink mixes, and shots, which FDA officials claim may be dangerous.

This caused the FDA to begin targeting 7-OH opioid products last month, as officials said that consumers have been able to buy products with concentrated levels of 7-OH online and through gas stations, corner stores, and vape shops.

“Vape stores are popping up in every neighborhood in America, and many are selling addictive products like concentrated 7-OH. After the last wave of the opioid epidemic, we cannot get caught flat-footed again,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said. “7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine. We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.”

On Wednesday, Florida state officials wrote that there has been a recent increase in emergency room visits and adverse health incidents linked to kratom, especially among people under 25 years of age.

Thanks to the emergency order, Florida law now throws products with 7-OH in the same category as heroin, LSD, and fentanyl analogs — “substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use,” the release says.

As such, state officials said that the order empowers law enforcement and other regulatory agencies to start removing these products from retailers across the state.