Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued two California-based online kratom companies for allegedly selling products to Texans that contain an illegal amount of a controlled substance, he announced Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed in Collin County district court last week, accuses Pure Leaf Kratom and Outcast Distribution of selling products that contain nearly 50 times the legal limit of 7-hydroxymitragynine — also known as 7-OH — an alkaloid found in kratom products the suit says can cause life-threatening symptoms or even be fatal when chemically manipulated.
"I will not allow California-based companies to illegally ship their potentially deadly substances into Texas," Paxton wrote in a statement. "Synthetic kratom products can be incredibly dangerous, and my office will continue to work to protect Texas consumers from the harms of adulterated kratom products."
KERA News has reached out to Pure Leaf Kratom and Outcast Distribution for comment and will update this story with any response.
It comes about two months after Paxton sued North Texas kratom retailers operating under the name Smokey's Paradise in Midlothian. An Ellis County judge granted the state a temporary injunction last week preventing Smokey's from selling kratom products.
Kratom is a leafy plant that can be consumed in capsule or powder form or mixed into food or drinks, producing opioid-like effects, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for any use, but some people use it to manage drug withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
In 2023, state lawmakers passed the Texas Kratom Consumer Health and Safety Protection Act. It limits the 7-OH level of any kratom product to 2% of the product's total alkaloid content and bans synthetic alkaloids.
According to an investigation by the attorney general's office, Pure Leaf Kratom sold synthetic kratom products — which are banned in Texas — despite stating on its website that it didn't ship the products to Texas.
"Synthetic kratom products containing concentrated 7-OH are exponentially more potent than natural kratom," the suit states.
7-OH also has a high potential for abuse, according to the suit.
Paxton's suit accuses the companies of violating the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Kratom Consumer Health Safety Act and the Business Organizations Code. The attorney general requested a temporary restraining order and injunction preventing the companies from selling kratom products in Texas.
Toluwani Osibamowo is KERA's law and justice reporter. Got a tip? Email Toluwani at tosibamowo@kera.org.
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