When you check out at the gas station, you probably don’t expect to see something that could ruin your military career by the register. Brightly packaged fruit-flavored gummies between the lighters and Reese’s cups display. “All-natural,” “plant-based” energy shots right next to the 5-Hour Energy. Nootropics, botanicals, and supplements.

Unlike alcohol or cigarettes, you may never need to show an ID to buy gas station drugs. They are marketed as harmless and safe alternatives to drugs. They aren’t.

Cultural attitudes may have softened toward certain drugs, but the military’s zero-tolerance policy for enlisted service members has not. Take cannabis, for example: regulations are softening at the federal level. In March 2026, the U.S. Army did update enlistment guidelines to remove the waiver requirement for people enlisting with a single marijuana possession charge on their record (AR 601-210 para. 4–6). The zero-tolerance policy after enlisting remains, of course. Even so: some concessions have been made on the cannabis front.

The opposite is true for drugs like kratom, hemp, and their derivatives or synthetics. Both the military and the federal government are coming down harder on gray market drugs, AKA gas station drugs. What kratom is, what its derivatives are, and just how easy it is to access—especially unknowingly—is now critical information for all service members.

Learn more about marijuana and the military from our article: Tully Rinckey PLLC | State-Legal Cannabis & Rescheduling: Marijuana Still Off-Limits for Military in 2026

The Gray Market of Gas Station Drugs & Supplements

Gas station distribution is a time-proven tactic makers of questionable products use to avoid regulatory scrutiny. So-called “gas station drugs” occupy a regulatory gray zone: they may not be illegal, but they aren’t strictly legal either. Gas station drugs are easily purchased at convenience stores, bodegas, vape shops, head shops, and the internet.

Manufacturers use multiple tactics for evading the regulatory eye of the FDA and DEA. A legal loophole for hemp made “Gas station weed,” AKA Delta-8, readily available in places where other THC was illegal.

Manufacturers used to take advantage of a “supplement” loophole before regulations caught up. Now, the labels may claim to be for research purposes or designed for external use only.

Not every gas station drug labels its contents. When they do, labels are often inaccurate or misleading. The recommended dose may be for one quarter of a pill or one third of a single-dose shot. A package bought in one gas station may contain completely different contents than one purchased at another location: same label, same brand. Some of those contents may be dangerous—on their own, or in combination with a health condition or other medication. Some contents may trigger a positive urinalysis for a drug that wasn’t even listed as an ingredient.

Find updated information on current DoD policy from our article: Kratom: DoD Prohibited Substance or Controlled Substance?

What Is Kratom?

Kratom is a drug that comes from a tree (Mitragyna speciosa) related to coffee. Depending on the dosage, the effects of kratom on the mind and body vary significantly. In small doses of the plant, kratom acts as a mild stimulant. In larger doses, it’s a sedative and mild analgesic. But when kratom compounds are concentrated (like 7-OH) or synthesized (like MGM-15 and MGM-16), the result is an opiate effect far more potent than morphine.

Product branding often presents kratom and its derivatives as supplements, not drugs: a safe, clean, natural, plant-based alternative to pharmaceuticals. Here is the truth: at high enough doses, kratom compounds act like opioids. Like oxycodone, chronic kratom use can trigger opioid withdrawal requiring inpatient medical management. And like fentanyl, high doses of the kratom compound 7-OH can trigger lethal respiratory symptoms that Narcan/naloxone (an opioid antagonist) can reverse.

The tragedy here is that there are people who’d hoped to find a safe and responsible alternative to opioids only to find themselves in rehab: for a “harmless” product they bought at a gas station without even needing to present ID. When deceptive labeling misrepresents kratom products as a safe alternative to morphine and oxycodone, veterans and service members managing severe pain or PTSD symptoms may be especially vulnerable.

Mitragynine, 7-OH, MGM-15, MGM-16

Mitragynine and 7-OH occur naturally in the kratom leaf but pose a serious threat when concentrated or synthesized. Products may be labeled “kratom” but have a pharmacological profile of an opioid more potent than morphine.

Some kratom compounds are now a Schedule I controlled substance. The DEA has placed kratom derivatives and synthetics like mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 on Schedule I on an emergency basis. These substances have a high risk of abuse, dependence, addiction, and withdrawal. Use can carry long-term health impacts, including overdose and death.

Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 are not only prohibited under DoD policy, they are now also federally illegal.

Gas Station Drugs Service Members Must Avoid

Be cautious of any “supplement,” “formula,” “extract,” “nootropic” or “botanical” product claiming to boost mood, give energy, ease anxiety, relieve pain, or induce relaxation.

Kratom, Derivatives and Synthetics

• Kratom
• Feel Free
• 7-OH
• MGM-15
• MGM-16
• Mitragynine
• 7-hydroxy-mitragynine
• Mitragyna speciosa
• Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl
• Thom
• Ketum
• Fruity Perks
• Hydroxie

Tianeptine

• Tianeptine
• Coaxil
• Gas station heroin
• Tianna
• Zaza
• Neptune’s Fix
• TD Red

Delta-8

• “Legal” weed
• Gas station weed
• Δ8
• D8
• Marijuana Lite
• Diet weed

Potential Consequences for Service Members

Apart from the health, personal and financial consequences of irresponsible kratom use, service members may face administrative action or punishment under UCMJ article 92. Kratom products with Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, or MGM-16 are a Schedule I controlled substance under the CSA as of August 25, 2026. The punishment under Article 112a for using an illegal controlled substance rather than a “legal” but DoD-prohibited substance, could be far more severe.

Service members using kratom could face:

• Non-judicial punishment/Article 15
• Administrative Separation
• Dishonorable discharge
• Loss of all pay and allowances
• Confinement: up to 2 years for prohibited kratom, up to 15 years for Schedule I kratom derivatives and synthetics
• Loss of security clearance

Losing Security clearance

Security clearance revocation or denial is common collateral damage alongside command action. Not all kratom qualifies as a Schedule I controlled substance. That does not mean it is fair game for security clearance holders. Some kratom use can flag security clearance issues under:

• Guideline H – Drug Involvement and Controlled Substance Misuse
• Guideline E – Personal Conduct

• Guideline J – Criminal Conduct

A given kratom product may not contain sufficient 7-OH to be illegal, but it may still trigger security concern. Guideline H is “Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse”—not “Illegal Drug Involvement and Controlled Substance Misuse.” The bar for security clearance eligibility is far higher than legality. And addiction, whether to a legal substance or not, is a major security concern. Just because a product can be purchased at a gas station without even needing to show ID, that does not make it nonaddictive, safe, or permitted in classified or sensitive work.

And if you are a civilian using kratom in a state where kratom is illegal, that could also trigger a security concern under Guideline J. This is true even if the drug is not strictly federally illegal at the time. A crime is a crime: state or federal.

Protect Your Career and Your Health

Regulation and enforcement don’t always keep up with what’s on gas station shelves. Don’t count on the fact that you can buy it from a local store to protect you. It may still be prohibited for service members or even federally illegal for everybody.

The Operation Supplement Safety website is a good resource to look up ingredients, check its prohibited status, and get references to the authority for that prohibition. But with gas station drugs, the labels and ingredients lists are unreliable. It is best to avoid sketchy products all together: for your safety, your health, your benefits, and your career.

If you believe you have unknowingly or knowingly consumed any of these prohibited substances, or you’ve had a positive urinalysis, it is highly advised to seek legal counsel immediately: before consenting to any questions, searches, or screenings.

The military law attorneys at Tully Rinckey PLLC served long before they became lawyers. They know the military, they know the law, and they are ready to fight hard on your behalf. If you have additional questions, our team of dedicated military law attorneys is available to assist you today. Please call  8885294543 to schedule a consultation, or schedule a consultation online.

As Managing Partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Houston office, Sean oversees all of the office’s operations while concentrating his practice on military law; routinely handling cases involving Article 15s, letters of reprimand, courts-martial and officer/enlisted separation proceedings. Sean also handles federal labor and employment law cases and security clearance representation. He is also a member of the National Security Lawyers Association (NSLA). He can be reached at (888) 356-6365 or at info@tullylegal.com.