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San Francisco links first overdose death to potent kratom-derived opioid
San Francisco health officials say an adult who died in late September had MGM-15, a potent kratom-derived opioid, in their toxicology results. The warning comes as police report seizing more than 400 kratom products and other items from two smoke shops.
San Francisco has reported its first fatal overdose involving MGM-15, a potent opioid derived from kratom that can be sold in products marketed as supplements, city health officials said. The substance was detected in the toxicology results of an adult who died in late September and was also listed on the packaging of the product they consumed.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health warned that MGM-15, also known as dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine, is not approved for medical use. High doses can cause respiratory depression, coma and death, the department said. The drug has also been linked to overdose deaths in Utah and Washington.
Officials identified the product involved in the San Francisco death as “Script Botanical x Maui labs.” Its packaging did not mention kratom or 7-hydroxymitragynine, also called 7-OH. Other products containing potent kratom-derived compounds have been sold at smoke shops and gas stations under names such as “uncaria tomentosa” and “cat’s claw,” which may not clearly signal what they contain.
The health warning coincides with police searches of two San Francisco shops in September and October. During a Sept. 10 search on the 1400 block of Haight Street, officers seized items suspected of containing psilocybin, kratom and 7-OH, as well as flavored vapes, nitrous oxide canisters and glass pipes.
On Oct. 9, officers searched a shop on the 4600 block of Geary Boulevard that police said lacked a tobacco sales license. They seized more than 200 flavored vapes, over 400 kratom products, tobacco products, suspected psilocybin products, pipes and other paraphernalia, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The department said it is working with the City Attorney’s Office on the investigations.
Kratom and 7-OH are not currently classified as scheduled drugs under federal law, police said, though certain kratom-derived substances, including MGM-15, are controlled. Kratom can have stimulant-like effects, while 7-OH can produce opioid-like effects. Products may be marketed as herbal supplements or carry labels that do not clearly communicate their contents or risks.
The department said it will continue investigating suspected criminal activity, code violations and illegal product sales, including sales to minors. City health officials previously issued a warning about cychlorphine, another synthetic opioid, after it appeared in San Francisco and was linked to a fatal overdose.