What is kratom? Discovery near two dead Ole Miss students puts substance sold across the United States under scrutiny
Kratom is commonly found at gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores
T wo University of Mississippi students were found dead in separate incidents, and investigators recovered commercially packaged kratom at both locations. The discovery quickly placed an unfamiliar but widely available substance at the center of national attention.
Authorities stressed that the deaths are being investigated separately. They have found no confirmed connection between the cases and no evidence that kratom or any other substance caused either death. Autopsy and toxicology findings have not been released.
What kratom does and why officials are concerned
Kratom comes from a tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves have traditionally been chewed or brewed as tea, but American stores sell it as powders, capsules, gummies and concentrated shots. Small amounts can produce stimulant effects, while larger amounts can cause sedation and opioid-like effects.
Some people use kratom to manage pain, improve their mood or reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. However, the FDA has not approved any kratom drug for medical use and warns that it has been associated with addiction, seizures, liver toxicity and other serious health problems.
The greatest concern involves 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH . It occurs naturally in kratom in trace amounts, but manufacturers also sell products with much higher concentrations.
The DEA is moving to place concentrated 7-OH and several synthetic derivatives under temporary federal control, while excluding traditional botanical kratom below its proposed limit.
Kratom is not a rare underground product. A University of Mississippi study found it available at 72% of tobacco and vape stores surveyed across the country.
The Ole Miss deaths have not established that kratom was responsible, but they have renewed a public-health question affecting the entire United States: why can a product with opioid-like effects remain so easy to purchase while its risks and contents can vary dramatically?
