Missouri Attorney General pushes for removal of dangerous drug being sold to Missourians

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Missouri’s Attorney General says she is cracking down on what she calls a dangerous and unregulated drug being sold across Missouri. 

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway held a briefing today announcing that her office is filing a lawsuit against a CBD retailer and its affiliate companies called American Shaman, claiming that they are selling a product with 70H. 

 “7OH, put simply, is a synthetic opioid that is being distributed over the counter in Missouri” says Hanaway.

The lawsuit filed by Hanaway’s office states the company violated Missouri consumer protection laws, Chief Chris DiGiuseppe with the Police Chiefs’ Legislative Coalition spoke at the briefing saying kratom and the compound 70H are causing Missouri deaths.

“Saint Charles County council says that quote, “kratom is an opioid drug, and it has the same effect on opioid receptors that depress respiration. This is similar to heroin and fentanyl. She further indicated that nine people had died” says DiGiuseppe.

Hanaway, saying she aims to stop American Shamon and its affiliate companies from selling the product legally over the counter to Missourians.

“We believe it is deadly” says Hanaway. “The FDA has said that the suppressive effect of it on your respiratory and coronary systems is three times greater than morphine.” 

Julie Webber is the Missouri Poison Control Center Director; she shares that in 2025 the amount of calls the poison control center received related to kratom and 7OH derived products have greatly increased and even resulted in deaths.

“The Missouri Poison Center says we’re receiving calls where the symptoms involve a very rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, agitation, hallucinations, vomiting, and in severe cases, central nervous system depression leading to respiratory depression as well” says Webber.

Hanaway shares more details on the lawsuit, filed this week in Jackson County against Kansas City retailer American Shamon.

“There’s a couple of theories that are, involved with our suit” says Hanaway. “So, violations of the Missouri merchandizing practices act, where they have misrepresented what’s in the product and, the nature of the product, that it’s addictive, that it is intoxicating and, we don’t think that they can circumvent those claims because the behaviors already happen.”