Health experts warn about potentially deadly herbal substance, after 6 overdose deaths: What to know

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The California Department of Public Health is sounding the alarm on Kratom, as well as a potent derivative of the plant called 7-OH, in the wake of six recent overdose deaths in Los Angeles County.

“It’s terrifying. How highly addictive this is,” said Michelle Leopold, whose son Trevor died of an accidental opioid overdose in 2019 while a freshman at Sonoma State University. She has since gone on to become a fierce advocate and educator, partnering with local health departments.

“The fact that now I am getting a phone call from people who have loved ones, that they’re very concerned about being addicted to,” said Leopold.

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Kratom and 7-OH products are not FDA-approved and are not legal for retailers to sell. Yet, they are widely available in smoke shops and gas stations. They are often labeled as a dietary supplement to help with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid withdrawal, and when properly used in small dose, some people believe it is effective.

“There are no age restrictions, there are no warnings about what it is, or that you can get addicted to it and that it can cause big problems,” said Micah Sawyer, the founder of Micah’s Hugs, a nonprofit he founded in memory of his son, who died of a fentanyl overdose.

“I think that what we need to do is, we need to figure out how to educate people. We need to get similar to what we do with cigarettes, alcohol, or cannabis. At this point, it needs to be, you know, warning labels about what it is and what it does,” said Sawyer.

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The California Alcoholic Beverage Control Department is warning business owners it is going to “begin taking enforcement actions.”

In the meantime, it’s important to know these products are often marketed using bright, colorful packaging designed to mimic regulated products …and are typically sold as beverages, pills, powders, and gummies.