TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A mislabeled illegal kratom product has been connected to a recent death in Utah, along with several other severe health incidents, according to state officials.
The Utah Department of Agriculture & Food and the Utah Poison Control Center issued a warning Thursday about the product, mislabeled as Buzzers Cat's Claw tablets, which contain illegal kratom alkaloids.
Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and MGM-15 are opioid-active compounds found in the kratom plant, but are Schedule I drugs in Utah. The substances were identified in recent overdose cases, although the number of cases was not released.
Officials did not release any information on the death that has been connected to the mislabeled kratom use.
Kratom is a plant that contains psychoactive compounds, but the cat's claw products do not contain those psychoactive elements.
"UDAF and UPCC warn all members of the public not to buy or consume Buzzers Cat’s Claw tablets and to safely destroy any existing product. Retailers should immediately remove products and contact UDAF’s Specialized Products Division," the agencies wrote.
All kratom products other than the pure-leaf varieties were banned in Utah during the most recent legislative session.
The Utah Department of Agriculture & Food is working with law enforcement officials to remove the mislabeled products from store shelves.
