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San Francisco warns of hidden opioid risk after first MGM-15-linked death
A person died in late September in San Francisco’s first reported fatal overdose involving MGM-15, an opioid derived from kratom-related compounds. Officials urge caution with products that do not clearly disclose their ingredients; police have not connected the death to two smoke-shop investigations.
San Francisco health officials are warning residents about MGM-15 after a person died in late September in the city’s first reported fatal overdose involving the opioid.
MGM-15 is derived from kratom-related compounds, and forensic researcher Alex Krotulski said its potency is comparable to morphine. People may be exposed without realizing it when products are sold with vague labels such as “proprietary blend,” said Krotulski, who studies emerging drugs.
“It’s possible the person selling it didn’t know that they were selling it,” Krotulski said, describing MGM-15 as existing in an uncertain legal landscape. Federal officials have temporarily placed the drug in Schedule I, making unauthorized sales and possession illegal.
The warning comes as San Francisco police investigate kratom-related products at two smoke shops. Officers searched a Haight Street shop on Sept. 10 and a Geary Boulevard shop on Oct. 9, seizing more than 400 kratom products at the Geary location.
Police have not said they found MGM-15 at either business, and neither shop has been linked to the fatal overdose.
Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who represents the Haight, said the death increased his concern about potentially dangerous products being sold in the city. He said city departments would work together to address the issue.
Health officials advise consumers to be cautious with products that do not clearly list their ingredients. The case highlights the risks posed by emerging substances that may appear in supplements or other products without clear labeling.