Arizona AG warns about altered kratom products sold at smoke shops, convenience stores

PHOENIX — Arizona children are becoming addicted to dangerous products sold in gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores, authorities warned Tuesday.

“I have already heard from parents whose kids have become addicted to these products sold over the counter across the state,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press release.

The products in question refer to items marketed as kratom — a plant-based supplement made from the leaves of a tree that grows in Southeast Asia — or “all-natural” supplements, but which actually have highly concentrated substances like 7-hydroxymitragynine, she added.

“These products are really dangerous and basically act like synthetic opioids,” Mayes said.

Consumers and sellers sometimes use slang terms like “legal morphine” or “gas station heroin” to refer to these synthetic compounds, she added.

Details about dangerous products sold at convenience stores, smoke shops

Kratom is often advertised as a product that can boost energy, improve mood, ease pain and help with withdrawal symptoms when quitting opioids. At low doses, it acts like a stimulant, but at higher doses, it can have a sedative effect, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Additionally, some producers even add extra active ingredients beyond what the plant naturally contains, which means that, depending on a person’s health, using it can be harmful, according to the Mayo Clinic.

While kratom isn’t covered in the federal Controlled Substances Act, it’s regulated in Arizona.

The state’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act was designed to both keep adulterated, synthetic products off the market and to require manufacturers follow basic safety and labeling standards.

“My office is aware of multiple cases where kratom products have been sold to minors in violation of state law and we are working to hold these bad actors accountable,” Mayes said. “But law enforcement needs stronger tools to effectively combat this growing problem.”

Additionally, she is calling for the Legislature to tighten this statute so prosecutors can better go after bad actors who are exploiting the system and selling these products.

“In its current form, Arizona’s kratom law asks prosecutors to clear a high bar just to prove a misdemeanor,” Mayes said.

Most law enforcement agencies don’t have the labs, experts or budget to routinely do this, she added.

“In the upcoming legislative session, I will be asking members of both parties to work with my office to strengthen this law and increase penalties for those selling these products to minors,” Mayes said.

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