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Opioid Users Found a ‘Miracle Drug’ to Help Them Quit. Then the DEA Banned It
Researchers developed SR-17018 as a potential painkiller after studies in mice suggested it could relieve pain without slowing breathing, while also reducing opioid tolerance and withdrawal. Some people who use opioids say they have used it to taper off other substances, but its effects and safety in humans have not been established; the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to classify it as a Schedule I drug has also made planned research harder.
The DEA emergency-scheduled SR-17018 in late August, placing it in the same category as heroin under US law. University of South Florida researcher Laura Bohn says the classification prevents her team from making, shipping or handling the compound for further safety studies. Two former users interviewed in the article described using it to stop taking opioid-like substances, including MGM-15 and 7-OH, but these accounts are personal reports rather than clinical evidence.
In short
- Some users say SR-17018 helped them quit opioid-like drugs.
- Human safety and effectiveness have not been clinically tested.
- The DEA’s Schedule I classification has stalled planned research.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
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The case for
The DEA can argue that emergency scheduling is a precaution when a potent, poorly studied substance is being used outside medical supervision and may pose unknown risks. Because reports of people using SR-17018 to stop other substances are anecdotal and human safety has not been established, restricting access could limit wider unsupervised use while officials assess potential harms.
The case against
Researchers and people seeking treatment can argue that scheduling a compound with promising early findings may impede the very safety studies needed to assess its risks and benefits. If controlled research is blocked, clinicians and regulators may have less evidence to guide decisions, while people trying to reduce opioid use may lose access to a possible avenue of investigation.
Explained simply
SR-17018 is an experimental compound developed by researchers as a possible painkiller. Studies in mice suggested it might ease pain while avoiding some effects linked to opioids, and could affect tolerance and withdrawal. Its effects and safety in people have not been established.
Some people who use opioids have reported taking SR-17018 while reducing other substances, including opioid-like products such as MGM-15 and 7-OH. These are personal accounts, not evidence from clinical trials. The US Drug Enforcement Administration classifies drugs under federal law, and its Schedule I category includes heroin; the classification can restrict access to substances for research.