The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a motion directing county experts to develop recommendations to prevent deaths and serious harm linked to kratom, a tropical plant increasingly used and misrepresented as a safe supplement. Seven fatal overdoses due to kratom have occurred in the county since January 2025.
The motion by 4th District Supervisor Janice Hahn directs county experts to find solutions on how the county should address and prevent kratom-related deaths and harm, including creating an ordinance, identifying funding and staffing needs, and identifying risks of other harmful substitutions. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has begun enforcement actions to remove kratom-related 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products from stores.
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia often used to self-treat conditions such as pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety, depression, and opioid withdrawal. However, less than 2% of kratom leaves consist of 7-OH, which demonstrates greater mu-opioid receptor potency than kratom’s primary alkaloid constituent. Dr. Anirudh Rai, a physician at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, emphasizes that the 7-OH component is extremely potent, stating it is “essentially 13 times stronger than morphine,” making it highly addictive. Dr. Rai encourages anyone who takes kratom to inform their doctors immediately, as it interacts with anesthesia and pain medications.
Marketing and Addiction Risks
While tobacco shops frequently sell kratom under the guise of an “energy booster,” many consumers overlook its negative implications. According to Cary Quashen, owner of Action Drug Rehab & Mental Health, kratom has been quietly present in the region for at least five years and was initially adopted by the recovering community as an undetectable alternative that produces opiate-like effects. “They sell it because it gives you energy, helps with depression. You can use it if you want to stop using drugs. But what they’re not telling you, if you read the fine print, is that it’ll say that it can cause addiction, and even overdose and death,” Quashen said.
Kratom works by hitting the same brain receptors as opioids, creating both physical and mental addiction with similar withdrawal symptoms. Quashen warned that people can accidentally get caught in kratom’s effects, saying, “If you use it for a period of time, you’re going to get a mental addiction, but you’re also going to get a physical addiction and get dopesick.” He added that continuous use will build tolerance and physical addiction, requiring professional detoxification.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://signalscv.com/2026/02/l-a-county-takes-measures-to-combat-sneaky-opioid-otherwise-known-as-kratom/