CA AG Sues Kratom Makers Over LA County Fatal Overdoses

The California Attorney General's Office and Department of Public Health filed a complaint against kratom manufacturers responsible for fatal overdoses in Los Angeles County, a hotspot for the drug's proliferation in smoke shops and online sales. Kratom, derived from the Mitragyna speciosa tree native to Southeast Asia, produces opioid-like effects and has been chewed historically by farmers for energy but carries severe risks including seizures, respiratory distress and death in the U.S. CBS Los Angeles first reported the suit, spotlighting LA County's role amid rising poison control calls.

Health officials cited kratom's dangers after poison centers logged 14,449 exposure reports nationwide from 2015 to 2026, a 1,200% surge per CDC data released March 26, 2026. At least 91 deaths nationwide have been linked to the unregulated supplement, with the FDA estimating 1.5 million U.S. users in 2021 alone and issuing warnings to seven companies on July 15, 2025, for illegal marketing of gummies, tablets and shots. In California, LA County's dense population and easy access via retailers have amplified local tragedies, prompting the state's aggressive legal response.

The lawsuit accuses producers of failing to label products with dosage instructions or risks like liver damage, psychosis and addiction, mirroring national verdicts such as a $2.5 million award in Washington against Kratom Divine for a father's overdose death and an $11 million settlement in Florida. DEA has flagged kratom as a 'Drug and Chemical of Concern' since noting 15 deaths from 2014-2016, yet its gray regulatory status allows unchecked sales. California officials aim to curb the crisis through this enforcement, protecting residents from what they call a deceptively marketed peril.