Overview
- Agents have removed more than $5 million in kratom and 7‑OH products since February, including roughly 3,300 items seized in the first three weeks.
- Inspections found about 95% of licensed retailers in compliance, with 61 violations recorded since full enforcement began on Feb. 9.
- California officials cite 242 deaths linked to kratom from 2020 to 2022, including 27 in which it was the sole substance, while the CDC counted 846 implicated cases nationally in 2022.
- 7‑hydroxymitragynine is reported to be far more potent than traditional kratom and is marketed in concentrated extracts, gummies, tablets, and drinks.
- Analyses frequently show polysubstance exposure in kratom‑related fatalities, and some experts and industry voices caution that broad prohibitions could push sales into riskier illicit markets.