kratom

Kratom, banned by California, is still for sale in East County stores including synthetic versions linked to numerous deaths

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

January 24, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – An investigation by East County Magazine has found kratom and synthetic kratom (7-OH) products for sale locally in every East County city, despite the fact that it’s illegal in California to sell or manufacture kratom for consumption. The ban is due to risk of addiction, serious harm, overdose or death, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Kratom can also cause liver toxicity when used with alcohol.


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KRATOM SUPPLEMENT TOUTED FOR OPIOID ADDICTION LINKED TO SALMONELLA

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 3, 2018 (San Diego) – Forty cases of salmonella nationwide, including at least one in San Diego, have been linked to kratom, a banned herbal supplement from Asia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Kratom is also sometimes marketed as Thang, Kakuam, Thom, Ketom, and Biak.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.