Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against two California-based online kratom retailers for deceptively marketing and selling synthetic kratom products and adulterated products containing up to 96% 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH.
That concentration is nearly 50 times the 2% legal limit allowed under Texas law.
Attorney General Paxton Sues Kratom Retailers for Selling Products Containing Nearly Fifty Times the Legal Limit of the Potentially Deadly Alkaloid Known as 7‑OH:https://t.co/f21rCGy9bp
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) April 21, 2026
The action targets Pure Leaf Kratom, LLC and Outcast Distribution, LLC. It forms part of a broader initiative by Paxton’s office to address the unlawful distribution of adulterated and contaminated kratom products across the state.
Attorney General Paxton’s investigation found that the defendants sold and shipped kratom products to Texas consumers with illegally high concentrations of 7-OH. The alkaloid is more than 20 times stronger than morphine. The companies also shipped products containing synthetic alkaloids expressly prohibited under Texas law, per an April 21 press release from Paxton.
Laboratory testing confirmed that multiple products contained 7-OH levels ranging from 86% to 96% of the total alkaloid content. This far exceeds the 2% maximum set by the Texas Kratom Consumer Health and Safety Protection Act. Although the defendants’ website claims they do not ship synthetic kratom products or items with more than 2% 7-OH to Texas, the investigation determined those representations were false.
The Texas Legislature enacted the Texas Kratom Consumer Health and Safety Protection Act in 2023. The law established strict potency limits on 7-OH and prohibited synthetic additives to protect consumers from the dangers of synthetic alkaloids and adulterated kratom products.
7-OH is a potent alkaloid found in the kratom plant, per Texas Health and Human Services. At high concentrations, it can lead to serious health risks, including respiratory depression. The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued warnings about concentrated 7-OH products, which are often sold as extracts, gummies, or other forms in smoke shops and online.
“I will not allow California-based companies to illegally ship their potentially deadly substances into Texas,” said Paxton. “Synthetic kratom products can be incredibly dangerous, and my office will continue to work to protect Texas consumers from the harms of adulterated kratom products.”
Kratom comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree native to Southeast Asia. Natural kratom leaf typically contains only trace amounts of 7-OH, well below the 2% threshold. Concentrated and synthetic versions have drawn increased regulatory scrutiny. In July 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced steps to restrict access to certain high-potency 7-OH products, which lack approved medical uses and have not been proven safe or effective.
This lawsuit follows a previous action by Paxton against North Texas-based kratom retailers operating as Smokey’s Paradise in Midlothian, as The Dallas Express covered. In that case, the Office of the Attorney General secured a temporary injunction that stopped the businesses from selling illegal, adulterated kratom products.
The current case remains pending. The petition seeks remedies, including civil penalties under the Texas Kratom Consumer Health and Safety Protection Act and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Violations of the Kratom Act carry civil penalties starting at $250 for a first offense.