State public health officials file complaint against kratom business in San Diego area

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KESQ) - The California Department of Public Health and California Attorney General's Office have filed a legal complaint against a Santee-based kratom manufacturer that allegedly sold kratom products in violation of state and federal law.

The complaint filed in San Diego Superior Court against Ashlynn Marketing Group, Inc., doing business as Krave, Krave Kratom, and/or Krave Botanicals, alleges that following an inspection of the company's facility last year, an embargo was issued by the Department of Public Health prohibiting the sale and distribution of all kratom materials onsite.   

Kratom is a plant that is reported to be used as a pain medication, with energy-boosting and anxiety-relieving qualities, but which is not FDA-approved and is believed to possibly cause addiction, and may carry side effects such as liver damage and nausea, among other things.

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But in follow-up visits, investigators found evidence suggesting the embargoed products "had been moved, tampered with and repackaged,'' and that kratom materials were still being manufactured and distributed, according to the Department of Public Health.   

The complaint seeks a court order prohibiting further manufacture and distribution of the products, the destruction of all embargoed materials, and civil penalties.

"CDPH is pursuing legal action because Ashlynn's continued manufacture and sale of these products pose a clear and preventable public-health risk and violates state and federal law,'' said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan in a statement.

Last fall, CDPH issued a statewide consumer warning declaring that items containing kratom or 7-OH were illegal to sell or manufacture in California.

State public health officials say the products have been linked to a string of recent overdose deaths, including six in Los Angeles County.   

In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state's efforts to crackdown on kratom products included visits to thousands of retailers by agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Newsom's office said 95% of the stores were found to be complying with the state's guidance on kratom products.