What ND Means on a 7-OH Lab Report
ND is one of the most useful and most easily overstated terms on an alkaloid report. It means not detected for the submitted sample under the laboratory's method and reporting limits. It does not mean that an analyte is mathematically impossible, absent from every future lot, or absent from a different finished product made from the sample.
That distinction is especially important when reading 7-hydroxymitragynine results during the 2026 federal scheduling process. The DEA notice uses numerical threshold language. A careful document review must therefore keep the result, units, LOD, LOQ, sample identity, and product stage together.
Why an ND result matters to human exposure
7-OH is not just an analyte on a spreadsheet. Enriched 7-OH products are consumed for strong opioid-like effects and can lead to tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal, which is why an ND result and its reporting limit deserve careful reading.
An ND result can therefore be meaningful evidence that the laboratory did not detect 7-OH in the identified sample under the stated method and limits. It is still not the same as absolute zero, a result for every future lot, or a finished-product assay when the laboratory tested only source material. The human relevance makes accurate scope more important, not less.
ND, LOD, and LOQ are connected
| Field | Plain-language meaning | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| ND | The laboratory did not detect the analyte for the submitted sample under its stated method | Absolute zero in all material or future products |
| LOD | The method's stated limit of detection | A finished-product specification |
| LOQ | The method's stated limit of quantification | A universal legal threshold |
| Sample ID | The laboratory identity for the submitted material | Every flavor, package, or later lot |
| Matrix | The type of material tested, such as concentrate | That a later tablet or edible was independently tested |
Read the result in a fixed order
- Confirm the analyte name. 7-OH may appear as 7-hydroxy mitragynine or 7HMG.
- Confirm the sample ID and client-supplied sample name.
- Confirm the matrix or material type.
- Read the LOD and LOQ with their units.
- Read the reported result in every displayed unit.
- Read the report date and any scope or reproduction language.
- Match the record to the actual product stage being discussed.
A real source-material example
The current MIT 90% extract-powder report identifies submitted sample DD00126B(15), laboratory ID SD260715-011 (142956), with the matrix listed as concentrate. The report lists 7-hydroxy mitragynine with an LOD of 0.008 ppm, an LOQ of 0.025 ppm, and an ND result. It separately reports mitragynine at 87.01%, or 870.12 mg/g. Open the current powder COA.
Those fields belong together. Quoting ND without the sample identity and reporting limit would remove context. Quoting 87.01% without stating that it is the result for the submitted concentrate sample DD00126B(15) would also remove context.
Source material is not the finished tablet
The current tablet document is a separate finished-product report. It identifies pressed Mitragynine Tablet lot M/150/002 and lists 146 mg mitragynine, 0.148 mg 7-hydroxymitragynine, and 153 mg total Mitragyna alkaloids per unit. Open the finished-tablet COA. That measured result is not an ND example and should not be substituted for the powder sample's result.
Manufacturing adds another stage. Finished tablets contain the source material in a manufactured format and may include other ingredients. A finished-product assay would test the tablet after that process. Without such a report, the source result should not be restated as though the laboratory tested each tablet, each flavor, or each production lot.
Why per-article language needs finished-product facts
The DEA notice describes both concentration thresholds and, for certain alternative articles, a total of more than 1.00 milligram of 7-OH in the article. Applying that wording to a specific finished product requires the finished product's identity and relevant analytical facts. A source concentrate marked ND is meaningful evidence about that submitted source sample, but it is not a substitute for product-specific legal review.
Better and worse ways to write an ND statement
| Wording | Assessment |
|---|---|
| The current powder report for sample DD00126B(15) lists 7-OH as ND at a 0.025 ppm LOQ | Specific and appropriately scoped |
| The tablets have zero 7-OH | Overbroad; the report did not test finished tablets and ND does not mean absolute zero |
| Every tablet lot is COA certified | Unsupported unless every identified lot has matching finished-product evidence and the certification claim is authorized |
| Finished-tablet lot M/150/002 lists 0.148 mg 7-hydroxymitragynine per unit | Specific to that finished-tablet lot; not an ND statement and not a blanket result for future lots |
| DEA compliant | Avoid; a laboratory result does not certify legal compliance |
Questions to ask when a report is linked
- What exact material was submitted?
- Who provided the sample identity to the laboratory?
- Is this an input, intermediate material, or finished product?
- Which lot or batch does the result cover?
- Are the units ppm, percent, mg/g, mg per unit, or another measure?
- What do the report's LOD and LOQ mean under the stated method?
- Does the document contain restrictions on reproduction or promotional use?
Does ND stay true forever?
No result should be detached from the sample and date printed on its report. A later source lot, a different supplier, or a manufactured finished product is a new evidence question. If a store continues to reference an older report, the page should identify the relationship accurately and avoid implying that the old sample result automatically retested later material.
Can two laboratories report different limits?
Yes. Laboratories can use different validated methods, instruments, reporting conventions, LODs, and LOQs. That is another reason to compare complete records instead of treating the letters ND as a universal numerical result.
For current product-to-document relationships, use the MIT Product Documents & COA Center. For the federal timeline, use the DEA 7-OH Scheduling Tracker.
Official sources and further reading
- DEA July 1, 2026 announcement
- Federal Register notice for 7-OH above specified thresholds
- Federal Register notice for mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16
- FDA consumer information about enhanced 7-OH products
- FDA and Kratom
Laboratory terminology and document-scope education only. No product certification, contract interpretation, or medical or legal advice is provided.
