The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is warning about the dangers of kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine products and has launched a compliance effort to aggressively remove the products from stores.

The potent opioid products derived from the kratom plant are illegal in California. They are extremely dangerous and may lead to addiction, serious harm, overdose and death, according to the California Department of Public Health. Kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine products cannot be legally marketed in the United States as a drug product, dietary supplement or food additive. Claims that illegal kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine products can treat pain, anxiety and opioid withdrawal are unproven. Side effects of illegal kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine products include withdrawal symptoms, insomnia and anxiety, seizures and fatal respiratory ailments.

Following guidance issued by CDPH and coupled with an extensive campaign to educate licensees, ABC is taking strong enforcement action against businesses that continue to sell products containing illegal kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Los Angeles County ordered all retailers to stop seeking the products in November.

“We want to ensure our licensees are aware of existing laws and take steps to remove these dangerous products from store shelves,” ABC Director Paul Tupy said. “We saw overwhelming compliance with illegal hemp products and fully expect to see the same with these products.”

Store owners that do not comply with the law could face criminal and administrative penalties. Under the Sherman Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, also known as the Sherman Law, CDPH has authority to regulate adulterated or misbranded food, drug, medical devices and cosmetics. Food and dietary supplements containing kratom and 7-OH are adulterated pursuant to federal and state law. To date, CDPH has seized kratom and 7-OH products valued at more than $5 million. CDPH continues to take action to remove products or raw materials containing kratom or 7-OH from retail facilities selling to consumers for consumption and from locations where the products are manufactured.

For information about kratom and health dangers, visit cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/NR25-016.aspx. To file a complaint about illegal kratom products at an ABC-licensed location, visit abc.ca.gov/contact/file-complaint. Anyone who sees kratom or 7-OH products for sale for consumption should call the CDPH Complaint Hotline at (800)495-3232.