Kratom industry says deaths linked to synthetic opioids, not natural kratom

Court documents reveal that Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were discovered dead on Sept. 21, with packaging linked to kratom-related products found at each location. Investigators later clarified that the tablets, identified as Smax Pseudo-DHM and containing ingredients such as pseudoindoxyl and MGM-15(DHM), are synthetic opioids, not natural kratom. Mac Haddow of the American Kratom Association emphasized that these chemically manipulated substances should never have been sold and called for proper enforcement of the Mississippi Kratom Consumer Protection Act.

He noted that traditional kratom leaf use has no documented death reports, contrasting it with the dangers of adulterated, high-potency products. The association advocates for regulation, testing, labeling, and age restrictions rather than an outright ban, while federal agencies continue to monitor synthetic kratom derivatives.