Texas sues California companies for shipping illegal, high-potency kratom into state
MIAMI, FL - MAY 10: In this photo illustration, capsules of the herbal supplement Kratom are seen on May 10, 2016 in Miami, Florida. The herbal supplement is a psychoactive drug derived from the leaves of the kratom plant and it's been reported that
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas has filed another lawsuit targeting kratom retailers, this time going after two online companies based out of California.
The companies, Pure Leaf Kratom and Outcast Distribution are accused of shipping illegal kratom products to customers in Texas while falsely claiming they followed state law.
Kratom levels far exceed legal limit
MIAMI, FL - MAY 10: In this photo illustration, capsules of the drug Kratom are seen on May 10, 2016 in Miami, Florida. The herbal supplement is a psychoactive drug derived from the leaves of the kratom plant and it's been reported that people are us
What we know:
According to a news release from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the two companies allegedly marketed and sold synthetic and adulterated kratom products containing up to 96% of 7-hydroxymitragynine ("7-OH").
That is nearly fifty times higher than the legal limit allowed under Texas law.
The state says both companies shipped these products into Texas, despite claiming on their websites that they do not sell products with more than 2% 7-OH or any synthetic kratom to Texas customers. An investigation by the Attorney General’s Office found those claims to be false.
Laboratory testing confirmed that multiple products shipped to Texas contained 7-OH levels ranging from 86% to 96% of total alkaloid content, well above the 2% cap set by state law.
Officials also allege the companies distributed products containing synthetic alkaloids, which are explicitly prohibited in Texas.
Similar to prior Texas lawsuit
Dig deeper:
This lawsuit is part of a broader push by the state to crack down on illegal kratom products.
Earlier, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit against a North Texas retailer, Smokey’s Paradise in Midlothian, for selling products with comparable levels of 7-OH. In that case, the state secured a temporary injunction, halting sales of the products.
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Texas sues Smokey’s Paradise over illegal kratom potency limits
Texas has filed a lawsuit against the retailer Smokey’s Paradise for allegedly selling kratom products with illegal, high-potency alkaloid levels that exceed state safety limits by nearly fifty times.
Texas Kratom Consumer Health and Safety Protection Act
The backstory:
In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Kratom Consumer Health and Safety Protection Act.
The law set strict limits on kratom potency and banned synthetic additives in an effort to protect consumers from potentially dangerous or addictive substances.
"Potentially deadly substances"
What they're saying:
"I will not allow California-based companies to illegally ship their potentially deadly substances into Texas," said Attorney General Paxton.
"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."
What's next:
The lawsuit aims to stop the companies from continuing to ship and sell these products in Texas. It is also part of an ongoing enforcement effort targeting kratom retailers accused of violating state law.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Texas Attorney General's Office.