What does '7-OH' mean in kratom?

7-OH refers to 7-hydroxymitragynine, a minor kratom alkaloid present in natural leaf at less than 0.1% by dry weight. It is much more potent at the mu-opioid receptor than mitragynine — roughly 10–13x more potent than morphine on a per-molecule basis. In natural-leaf products, 7-OH is well below 2% of total alkaloid content. Concentrated synthetic 7-OH products (where 7-OH dominates the alkaloid mass) are a different and higher-risk category, banned under most KCPA legislation.

What is 'AKA' in kratom context?

AKA stands for the American Kratom Association — the principal US-based kratom industry advocacy and consumer protection organization. The AKA runs the GMP Qualified Vendor program (kratom industry's main quality certification), maintains a public list of qualified vendors, advocates for state Kratom Consumer Protection Act legislation, and serves as the main political voice opposing kratom prohibition. AKA-qualified vendors meet annual third-party audit requirements.

What does 'KCPA' stand for?

KCPA stands for the Kratom Consumer Protection Act — model legislation championed by the American Kratom Association that establishes state-level minimum standards for kratom safety, labeling, and age-restriction. KCPAs typically prohibit sales to anyone under 21, require accurate alkaloid content labeling, set heavy-metal and microbial contamination thresholds, and ban synthetic alkaloid concentrates. As of 2026, more than a dozen US states have passed KCPA-style legislation.

What does 'COA' mean?

COA stands for Certificate of Analysis — a laboratory report documenting the test results for a specific batch of a product. For kratom, a complete COA shows the percentage of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine alkaloids, heavy-metal levels (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), microbial counts (Salmonella, E. coli, total yeast and mold), and any solvent or pesticide residues. Per-batch third-party COAs from accredited labs are the standard quality verification in the kratom industry.

What's the difference between 'leaf' and 'extract'?

Leaf refers to dried kratom leaf material — typically sold as ground powder containing the plant's natural alkaloid balance (around 1–2% mitragynine by mass). Extract is a concentrated preparation made by extracting alkaloids from large quantities of leaf using water, alcohol, or other solvents, then evaporating to concentrate. Extracts have much higher mitragynine percentages (commonly 10–75%), faster onset, and a narrower dose window than leaf.

What is 'toss-and-wash'?

Toss-and-wash is a method of consuming kratom powder: you put a measured dose of powder directly in your mouth and immediately wash it down with water or juice, swallowing without chewing. The whole process takes 30 seconds and produces the fastest onset of any traditional method (30–45 minutes). It's also the most universally hated technique because of the bitter taste and dry powder texture.

Reference · 12 min read · May 9, 2026

The Kratom Glossary: A-to-Z Reference of 60+ Terms Every Buyer Should Know

From '7-OH' to 'wash kratom,' the kratom world has its own vocabulary — much of it inherited from forums, vendor marketing, and Southeast Asian tradition. This A-to-Z reference defines 60+ terms with plain-English explanations, citations to source articles for deeper coverage, and clear notes on which terms are technical, which are slang, and which are marketing language.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does '7-OH' mean in kratom?: 7-OH refers to 7-hydroxymitragynine, a minor kratom alkaloid present in natural leaf at less than 0.1% by dry weight. It is much more potent at the mu-opioid receptor than mitragynine — roughly 10–13x more potent than morphine on a per-molecule basis. In natural-leaf products, 7-OH is well below 2% of total alkaloid content. Concentrated synthetic 7-OH products (where 7-OH dominates the alkaloid mass) are a different and higher-risk category, banned under most KCPA legislation.
What is 'AKA' in kratom context?: AKA stands for the American Kratom Association — the principal US-based kratom industry advocacy and consumer protection organization. The AKA runs the GMP Qualified Vendor program (kratom industry's main quality certification), maintains a public list of qualified vendors, advocates for state Kratom Consumer Protection Act legislation, and serves as the main political voice opposing kratom prohibition. AKA-qualified vendors meet annual third-party audit requirements.
What does 'KCPA' stand for?: KCPA stands for the Kratom Consumer Protection Act — model legislation championed by the American Kratom Association that establishes state-level minimum standards for kratom safety, labeling, and age-restriction. KCPAs typically prohibit sales to anyone under 21, require accurate alkaloid content labeling, set heavy-metal and microbial contamination thresholds, and ban synthetic alkaloid concentrates. As of 2026, more than a dozen US states have passed KCPA-style legislation.
What does 'COA' mean?: COA stands for Certificate of Analysis — a laboratory report documenting the test results for a specific batch of a product. For kratom, a complete COA shows the percentage of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine alkaloids, heavy-metal levels (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), microbial counts (Salmonella, E. coli, total yeast and mold), and any solvent or pesticide residues. Per-batch third-party COAs from accredited labs are the standard quality verification in the kratom industry.
What's the difference between 'leaf' and 'extract'?: Leaf refers to dried kratom leaf material — typically sold as ground powder containing the plant's natural alkaloid balance (around 1–2% mitragynine by mass). Extract is a concentrated preparation made by extracting alkaloids from large quantities of leaf using water, alcohol, or other solvents, then evaporating to concentrate. Extracts have much higher mitragynine percentages (commonly 10–75%), faster onset, and a narrower dose window than leaf.
What is 'toss-and-wash'?: Toss-and-wash is a method of consuming kratom powder: you put a measured dose of powder directly in your mouth and immediately wash it down with water or juice, swallowing without chewing. The whole process takes 30 seconds and produces the fastest onset of any traditional method (30–45 minutes). It's also the most universally hated technique because of the bitter taste and dry powder texture.

How 4 Leaf Herbals Sources Its Kratom: The Full Supply Chain, Top to Bottom — Most kratom on the US market changes hands through anonymous brokers between Indonesian growers and US retailers — which is why so many products test poorly, drift in alkaloid content, or carry inconsistent contamination profiles. We do things differently. Here is the full supply chain behind every product we ship: grower relationships, sourcing protocols, transport, lab testing, and packaging.
Why We Third-Party Test Every Single Batch (And What That Actually Means) — Per-batch third-party testing is the single most important quality signal in kratom — and the single easiest thing for vendors to fake or skip. Here is what real per-batch testing looks like, what we test for, why we publish every COA openly, and how to spot the vendors who say they test but actually do not.
Kratom Dosage Guide — Beginner doses and dose-by-weight chart for safe use.
Lab Results Library — Every batch's third-party Certificate of Analysis.