Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is suing a Kansas City company over its manufacture and sale of a kratom product that she said is similar to opioids.
The suit against CBD American Shaman, the leading supplier of a product called 7-OH in Missouri, and several related companies was jointly filed with the state Department of Health and Senior Services. It alleges the company failed to properly disclose the effects of the drug.
"What they've said is it's nonaddictive and it's nonintoxicating," Hanaway said during a press conference Tuesday. "They're giving away free samples of a highly addictive product, and they're advertising all over the place."
The lawsuit also claims the company advertises its products without proper safety testing and regulatory approval.
In a statement, American Shaman owner Vincent Sanders said, "We have consistently maintained that our products are safe and we have been transparent in sharing the scientific support and quality information behind them."
Sanders, who has said his company was the first to produce 7-OH, said American Shaman intends to defend itself in court.
Hanaway's suit seeks to prevent American Shaman from marketing, selling or distributing 7-OH. The action follows a monthslong investigation into several companies launched by the attorney general's office last year.
In December, the U.S. Justice Department seized thousands of products from American Shaman warehouses. The company issued a recall in February for chewable tablets that contained more 7-OH than the declared content.
If the lawsuit is successful, it would not stop others from selling the product, but investigations into other manufacturers and retailers of 7-OH are still "very live," Hanaway said.
What is 7-OH?
Kratom comes from a tropical tree in Southeast Asia, called Mitragyna speciosa. Products made with its crushed leaves – including capsules, powders, gummies and drinks – are marketed as energy boosters and natural remedies for pain, anxiety and opioid withdrawal.
The substance Hanaway's lawsuit targets is 7-hydroxymytragynine, or 7-OH, a compound found in kratom that is chemically converted and sold in much higher concentrations than are naturally occurring.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which sent a warning letter to American Shaman last summer, has said 7-OH is often falsely marketed as natural kratom, but the extract is 13 times more potent than morphine.
Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Control Center, said it has a strong potential for addiction.
"7-OH is not a harmless herbal product," Weber said. "Its potent alkaloids carry medical risk, and the synthetic form is really a current public health risk."
Weber said calls to the center over kratom exposure spiked from 24 in 2024 to more than 75 in 2025.
Neither drug has been approved by the FDA for any use, but products can be found for sale across the state in gas stations, smoke shops and online.
Because no law regulating kratom and 7-OH exists, people of any age are permitted to purchase them.
"Packaging has also been made appealing, featuring the different bright colors and images that mimic store bought candies and drinks," said Weber. "Children are accessing these occasionally and getting into these products because they think it's good to eat."
Justin Bumbalough, director of the Rolla faith-based recovery program Life Changers Missouri, said the drug is often used intentionally by people who are attempting to wean themselves off of opioids.
"People trying to get set free from addiction are ending up right back into the same trap, right back into the same bondage," Bumbalough said. "A lot of those people that I've been ministering to about opioids – getting free for them – they're not with us today because of the 7-OH kratom epidemic."
The Rolla City Council moved to ban 7-OH in March.
Legislation to address 7-OH
Legislation currently pending approval from the Senate would regulate kratom in Missouri by limiting its sale to people 21 and older, requiring disclaimers on labels and prohibiting products from mimicking candy or appealing to children.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Henderson, R-Desloge, would also substantially reduce the amount of 7-OH products can contain to 1,000 parts per million.
"Some people argue, 'Oh, it works for pain management for some,'" Henderson said Tuesday. "I would argue maybe trading one devil for the next."
But SB 1605 stalled last week with bipartisan opposition.
Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, said last week he wants to see a ban on both kratom and 7-OH.
Sen. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, said he is concerned about regulating 7-OH so heavily.
"I think there's some information and some reason to believe that they do provide some valuable pain relief and an alternative to opioids that, as I think we all agree, are devastating our country," Webber said during floor debate.
Henderson said he has had good conversations with both senators but is firm about keeping restrictions on 7-OH.
"I don't want to be the person that legalizes 7-OH," Henderson said.
Hanaway said she rarely takes a position on bills making their way through the legislature, but she feels strongly that 7-OH should be banned.
"7-OH is re-addicting people who are trying to recover from opioid addictions – addicting for the first time people who think it's some safe natural product – and killing people," Hanaway said. "We've got to put a stop to it."
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