KC kratom manufacturer American Shaman to stop sales in Missouri, ending lawsuit
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- American Shaman will suspend all kratom sales and advertisements in Missouri.
- Hanaway said the suspension will end the litigation against the company.
- Hanaway warned she could seek court orders and a $5 million penalty if sales resume.
American Shaman, the massive Kansas City company that rode the wave of unregulated hemp and kratom products, will suspend all its kratom sales in Missouri.
Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that the company is shutting down its Missouri sales and advertisements in a press release on Thursday morning, which ends Hanaway’s lawsuit against the company.
Kratom, and its more powerful derivative 7-OH, are drugs that have been available over the counter at vape shops, head shops and convenience stores. At low doses, they act as a stimulant, while higher doses result in pain reduction and euphoric calm, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“Kratom alkaloids, especially 7-OH, are dangerous opioids that carry serious health risks. We stepped in to shut down deceptive tactics that put public health in danger. This resolution protects consumers by taking these products off Missouri shelves,” said Attorney General Hanaway.
American Shaman suspending sales will end litigation, Hanaway announced in March. In a 30-page petition filed in Jackson County Circuit Court, Hanaway alleged the company skirted state laws on regulatory approval for drugs, that it unlawfully offered free samples and that warehouses and retail locations that sell kratom meet statutory definitions of “drug dens.”
Vince Sanders, the founder of American Shaman, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday morning.
Hanaway said if American Shaman breaches the agreement to cease sales in Missouri, she may seek a court order to cease the conduct, and could invoke a $5 million penalty if the conduct isn’t immediately stopped.
Increasingly regulated
Lawmakers at the local, state and federal level intervened in American Shaman’s main businesses over the past year.
A full federal ban on unregulated intoxicating hemp, which includes widely available Delta-8 THC and THCA, is scheduled to take effect on Nov. 12. Missouri lawmakers mirrored the federal government in a law it passed this year, but will still allow licensed dispensaries to sell intoxicating hemp.
But kratom remains in a regulatory gray area federally. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t classified it as a controlled substance, but has warned against its use.
In February, Kansas City banned the sale of synthetic kratom, like 7-OH, and placed strict requirements on stores that sell natural kratom.
Hanaway launched an investigation into Missouri kratom companies in November. In December, federal authorities seized products from American Shaman’s warehouse in Kansas City.
