Attorney General Hanaway Expands Investigation Into Kratom Manufacturer And Retailers

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her Office is expanding its statewide investigation, issuing six additional Civil Investigative Demands (CID) to kratom retailers operating in Missouri, following troubling reports that consumers may be exposed to unapproved, unsafe, and deceptively marketed opioid-like drugs.

“Our Office will not back down against businesses that choose to profit by selling powerful psychoactive compounds outside the law,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Missourians have the right to know exactly what is in the products they consume, and they deserve honesty, not companies willing to put their health in jeopardy. We won’t let Missouri consumers become test subjects for dangerous and misleading opioid-like drugs.”

The Attorney General’s Office is expanding its CIDs to retail smoke shops believed to be manufacturing, selling, or distributing kratom products that may violate Missouri law. These six CIDs are being served on:

• Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC, a kratom manufacturer that is doing business as EDP Kratom;
• Kratom Bunny Vape and More, a kratom and retail smoke shop in O’Fallon;
• Sunshine Ventures Inc., a kratom and retail smoke shop in western Missouri;
• SmokeTokz, a company operating the smoke shop “Smoke and Vape Tokz” in Kansas City, Missouri;
• Get Plugged, a kratom and smoke shop in St. Louis, Missouri; and
• Flare Smoke N Vape, a kratom and smoke shop in Ballwin.

These companies collectively represent major points of sale in Missouri’s kratom market, including retailers that reach thousands of consumers and companies known to sell or manufacture products containing mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, powerful psychoactive compounds that act on the brain in ways similar to opioids.

Kratom is derived from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa plant and is often marketed as a “natural supplement.” However, kratom products vary widely in potency and purity, and many contain levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine far exceeding what occurs naturally in the plant. Reported side effects included death, including deaths in the state of Missouri, dependency, seizures, heart complications, liver toxicity, and other serious medical harms. No kratom product is approved by the FDA for any medical use.

The CIDs require each company to disclose, among other things detailed information about how their products are manufactured, labeled, and marketed; all ingredients used; any representations regarding safety, health effects, or “safe” dosage levels; communications with consumers about adverse effects; and any materials showing whether the company sold unapproved new drugs in violation of federal or state law. The Attorney General is also seeking information to determine whether these businesses failed to disclose the presence of psychoactive substances such as 7-hydroxymitragynine.

Missourians who believe they were misled or harmed by kratom products are encouraged to file a complaint at ago.mo.gov.

The full civil investigative demand for Relax Relief Rejuvenate Trading LLC can be read here.
The full civil investigative demand for Kratom Bunny Vape and More can be read here.
The full civil investigative demand for Sunshine Ventures Inc. can be read here.
The full civil investigative demand for SmokeTokz can be read here.
The full civil investigative demand for Get Plugged can be read here.
The full civil investigative demand for Flare Smoke N Vape can be read here.
The initial statewide investigation into five other smoke shops can be read here.