A widely recognized product commonly found at gas stations and health shops is facing criticism, as devastated families hold it responsible for the unexpected deaths of two young men who thought they were consuming a safe, “natural” supplement.
This product contains kratom, a substance derived from plants and frequently marketed as an all-encompassing remedy, now involved in wrongful death lawsuits initiated by mourning relatives.
According to his family, Jordan McKibban, aged 37, collapsed in his bathroom after combining kratom powder with lemonade at his Washington state home.
The longtime employee at an organic food distributor had just returned home from work when he took a tablespoon of the substance
An autopsy later found that mitragynine, a compound found in kratom, was responsible for his death.
“He was a healthy guy. He wouldn’t even take ibuprofen,” McKibban’s mother, Pam Mauldin, told The Post.
“He had no idea this could kill him.”
Kratom items, such as shots, gummies, and powders, are often available in eye-catching packaging at gas stations and online, promoted as energy enhancers or mood boosters.
Despite their wide availability, the Food and Drug Administration says kratom and its key ingredients are “not lawfully marketed” in the US.
Critics warn the products are poorly regulated and dangerously misunderstood.
McKibban’s green plastic bag of kratom came with no dosage instructions or warnings, Mauldin said.
She believed her son was told it was “impossible” to overdose on it.
“He thought if he took too much, he’d just throw up,” she said.
The FDA is now calling attention to a powerful offshoot of kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, that experts say is even more addictive and deadly.
“7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary warned last week.
The agency has recommended classifying 7-OH as an illicit substance.
What is Kratom
Kratom is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia, with leaves containing compounds capable of producing both stimulant and sedative effects, contingent on the dosage.
Usage: Kratom is most commonly sold in the forms of powder, capsules, gummies, or liquid shots. It is often promoted as an “all-natural” solution for boosting energy, alleviating pain, or reducing anxiety and depression.
What does it do: At low doses, kratom acts like a stimulant, increasing energy and alertness. At higher doses, it behaves more like an opioid, potentially causing euphoria, sedation, or even unconsciousness.
Is it legal: Kratom is not federally banned in the US, but the FDA does not approve it as a drug, food additive, or supplement. Some states and cities have banned it entirely.
What are the risks?
- Be addictive
- Cause withdrawal symptoms
- Lead to nausea, elevated heart rate, liver damage, or seizures
- In rare cases, it’s been linked to overdoses and deaths, especially when mixed with other substances.
What’s 7-OH: A powerful compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine (or 7-OH) is a more potent offshoot of kratom. It’s been called more addictive than morphine and is under review for classification as an illicit opioid.
Emergency room doctors say kratom-related visits have surged in recent years.
Symptoms range from dizziness and rapid heart rate to unconsciousness and psychosis.
National poison centers recorded more than 1,800 kratom-related calls from 2011 to 2017, and those numbers have climbed since.
Dr. Michael Greco, an ER physician in Florida, said patients arrive with severe symptoms that mimic other substance-related episodes.
“You get sweating, dizziness, high blood pressure,” he said. “Some are totally unresponsive.”
KRATOM ADDICTION
In Ohio, Jennifer Young also is mourning the loss of her 27-year-old son, Johnny Loring, who died last year during a family mushroom hunting trip.
Loring had reportedly been using kratom to treat anxiety and stay alert while working as a delivery driver.
“He said it helped him talk to people and focus,” Young said.
She later found nearly 20 kratom packets in his bedroom.
He would mix the powder with orange juice.
A toxicology report found lethal levels of mitragynine and gabapentin, a prescription painkiller, in his body.
“The level of kratom shocked me,” Young said. “I didn’t know it was so addicting.”
Both families are suing over the deaths, arguing the products are being misrepresented as safe and natural while posing life-threatening risks.
“There have been hundreds of people killed from this,” Mauldin said. “And they don’t pull it. The government doesn’t step in.”
Experts say many users don’t realize kratom can act like an opioid in higher doses, leading to addiction, overdose and withdrawal.
“There’s always been concern around kratom,” said Dr. Robert Levy, an addiction and family medicine expert.
“People can ruin their lives on it.”
He warned that the drug appeals to those looking for “natural” remedies, especially teens drawn to drinks like Feel Free that are going viral on TikTok.
“Arsenic is also from a plant,” he said.
EFFECTS OF KRATOM
More users are now speaking out about their experiences with Feel Free, a kratom- and kava-based tonic made by Botanic Tonics in Oklahoma.
Some say it left them with skin damage, nausea, and intense withdrawal symptoms, despite being sold as a “feel-good” herbal shot.
Chris Oflyng, 28, from Wisconsin, said he used the tonic to replace his Adderall prescription but quickly became addicted, taking up to 10 bottles a day.
“The mental addiction to the opioid part of it becomes unbearable,” he told Fox News.
He said the kratom and kava combination left him with dry, peeling, reptile-like skin, heart palpitations, and nausea.
“It’s caused damage to my face, changed the way I look,” he said, claiming he suffered from tachycardia and skipped heartbeats.
Another former user, Jasmine Adeoye, 30, from Texas, said she started using the tonic in 2022 after giving up alcohol, but soon became dependent.
At the height of her addiction, she was spending up to $3,000 a month and drinking up to 12 bottles a day.
“I was in a deep depression, tired all the time and had high anxiety,” she said. “Some days I struggled to even get out of bed.”
Her skin also dried out and flaked off in patches. “It was like alligator skin,” she said.
Adeoye quit in March 2024, enduring severe withdrawal symptoms and cravings for weeks.
It took six months before she finally felt back to normal.
VIRGINIA CRACKDOWN
Virginia is one of the few states that has tried to regulate kratom.
In 2023, the state banned the sale of the product to anyone under 21 and required warning labels on packaging.
But for adults 21 and over, kratom is still widely available across the state, often advertised in neon signs at gas stations and smoke shops.
While Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico counties have passed rules limiting where vape shops can open, they don’t apply to existing stores or kratom sold at gas stations.
Hanover County is expected to vote on a similar restriction later this month.
Officials have also raised alarms about synthetic, drug-like substances, including kratom, showing up in Virginia schools.
While federal survey data in 2021 found about 0.7% of Americans use kratom, newer research from the American Kratom Association suggests it may be closer to 9%, or more than 20 million people.
