BOISE, Idaho — Kratom, once a niche herbal product, is now widely promoted on signs outside convenience stores and vape shops across the Treasure Valley, with dozens of retailers appearing in a search for local sellers.
Kratom is a plant from Southeast Asia that's part of the coffee family. In the United States, it is sold as powders, capsules and bottled shots, and is often marketed as a natural wellness supplement.
WATCH: Kratom is easy to buy, but doctors say Idahoans aren’t being warned about the risks.
Despite its natural branding, medical experts say many people don’t understand the risks or what may be inside some concentrated forms of the product.
“What I’ve heard from patients is they either hear from word of mouth or through the Internet that this is a safe and natural alternative to opioids, medications, that type of thing,” said Dr. Cate Heil, a family and addiction medicine physician in Boise. “So my concern is that it’s something that’s not regulated and they can just go out and buy it.”
Heil said the biggest concern is a compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which is increasingly sold in concentrated versions in the United States.
“This particular compound binds to the opioid receptor very potently – it’s more potent than morphine – and it can cause respiratory depression, which is the thing that leads to opioid overdose and potentially death,” Heil said.
At one Treasure Valley vape shop, products labeled specifically as 7-OH were displayed for sale alongside nicotine cartridges and energy drinks. A shop employee described watching some customers take high doses immediately after purchase and said misuse is common.
“I call it legal heroin,” the employee said. “It’s dangerous in my opinion. I see a lot of people come through who spend way too much money… right here on the label – ‘may cause symptoms or whatever… and death.’ Death is literally on the warning label.”
Kratom is not regulated in Idaho and according to state data, there have been at least 83 overdose deaths related to kratom in the past 5 years. There is no statewide age requirement, no dosing standards and no required safety warnings. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a national advisory stating kratom should not be considered a dietary supplement or safe food additive, but it remains widely sold.
At one Meridian storefront, The Happy Hippo, products are sold in brightly colored packaging and candy-like flavors advertised for relief, relaxation, or a boost of energy. Online listings show kratom powder for about $10 and packaged shots for $1 or $2.
“My opinion is that there should be more regulation around the sale of kratom,” Heil said. “There should be some sort of consumer protection warning… so people can make informed decisions before they buy this.”
