Attorney general sues American Shaman for sales of kratom, 7-OH

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said Tuesday that her office is suing a retailer for selling an unregulated drug.

Hanaway said the state is suing American Shaman and its affiliated companies under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, claiming that its sales of kratom and its compound 7-OH in gas stations and other stores harm the public.

The state seeks an injunction to stop those sales.

The drugs are marketed without safety testing or regulatory approval, Hanaway says.

“As a mom, I want to speak truthfully and honestly about these drugs: Over-the-counter opioids are not harmless, they are devastating Missouri families,” Hanaway said in a news release. “We owe it to our communities to hold accountable those who market and distribute these products unlawfully.”

Kratom is an extract from a tropical Southeast Asian plant that is sold in stores throughout the United States. Experts have compared its effect to opioids.

Hanaway emphasized that 7-OH seems more dangerous than kratom because of its concentrated form, calling it a "hazardous opioid."

The lawsuit was filed in Jackson County, where American Shaman is based. The company has a store in Camdenton.

Check back for updates to this developing story.