#376 - “Disaster!” - Cartel-Tracked CEO on (Legal) Drug 13x More Potent than MORPHINE | Ryan Niddel

Jan 23, 2026

Ryan Niddel, CEO of Diversified Botanics and kratom industry safety advocate, discusses kratom origins and the 7‑OH potency problem. He covers regulatory fights with FDA/DEA, tech fixes like blockchain and AI for traceability, transparency measures like QR/COA systems, and links between suppliers, cartels, and market pressures driving a potency arms race.

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INSIGHT

Isolation Amplifies Potency Risks

Isolating alkaloids changes safety and potency dramatically versus whole-leaf kratom.
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) can be far more potent than mitragynine and behaves very differently.

ANECDOTE

Customers Addicted To 7-OH Tell Their Stories

Customers reported buying 7-OH at stores and then becoming quickly dependent, prompting outreach to the company.
One man required outpatient rehab and was placed on Suboxone after using 7-OH.

INSIGHT

Toxicology Reveals Confounding Factors

Toxicology from a wrongful-death suit showed kratom plus very high amphetamine levels, complicating causation.
Co-consumed substances can confound blame on kratom alone.

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SPONSORS: 1) GHOST BED: Get an extra 10% off already-great prices at https://GhostBed.com/julian with promo code JULIAN. JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Ryan Niddel is the CEO of Diversified Botanics. He is a egalized dr*g market expert who has spoken out about the 7-OH opioid problem in America. RYAN's LINKS: X: https://x.com/Ryan_Niddel IG: https://www.instagram.com/thegenxgentleman/ COMPANY: https://diversifiedbotanics.com/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 – Intro 1:34 – Rocco Vargas, Ryan’s Background, Diversified Botanics, Kratom, FDA, Safety Issues 13:29 – FDA “Safety” Process, DEA Scheduling Threat, $1M Product Destruction, "Wild West" 23:55 – Post-DEA Future, System Failures, FDA Barriers, LLM + Blockchain Solutions 34:01 – Supplement Industry Problems, Untested Products, Market Cycles, Post-COVID Dynamics 45:00 – Why Kratom Isn’t an Opioid Replacement 55:48 – 7-OH Potency, Addiction Risk, Bioavailability, Kratom vs 7-OH Confusion 01:05:16 – Trade Shows, Smoke Shops, Mass Market Access, FDA Classification Issues 01:14:42 – Ethics, FDA Failures, Regulation Gaps, Lawsuits, Bioavailability Interactions 01:25:06 – Blockchain Validation, Transparency, COA Verification 01:39:08 – Ledger Systems, Simulation Theory 01:45:34 – 7-OH Regulation Debate, Prohibition vs Control, Opium Epidemic Parallels 01:52:57 – Potency Arms Race, Best Friend’s Overdose 02:01:38 – Addiction Crisis, FDA/HHS, RFK Talks, Cartel Surveillance 02:10:14 – CCP, Cartels, Russians, Money Laundering Networks 02:21:34 – Corruption, Global Networks, Acceptance of Risk w/ Cartels & China 02:35:37 – Future Model, Research Studies, NSF Approval, Market Structure 02:47:52 – Ryan's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 376 - Ryan Niddel Music by Artlist.io

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