Judge Denies Missouri AG’s Bid to Halt American Shaman Kratom Sales
Jackson County judge rejects AG Catherine Hanaway’s emergency bid to stop Kansas City company from selling controversial 7-OH kratom products.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — A Jackson County judge denied Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s request Friday to immediately stop Kansas City-based CBD American Shaman and several affiliated companies from selling kratom products.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles McKenzie rejected the motion for a temporary restraining order that was filed alongside the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The legal action specifically targeted the more potent 7-OH kratom products, which Hanaway argues are “hazardous opioids” banned under state and federal law.
Competing Expert Testimony Cited
McKenzie’s ruling stated there are “competing affidavits” from experts on both sides following a hearing on the motion earlier this week. The judge found insufficient evidence to grant the restraining order at this stage of the proceedings.
“The court cannot find, based on the oral argument of the parties, the respective competing affidavits presented and the pleadings, whether the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits at this juncture in the proceedings in order for the court to grant relief in the form of a temporary restraining order,” McKenzie’s order states.
State’s Evidence Includes Overdose Deaths
Hanaway’s legal argument was supported by sworn statements from an undercover narcotics officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol who testified that 7-OH is being used to cut fentanyl. The state also presented testimony from a woman whose brother died from a kratom overdose.
The attorney general’s office filed the original lawsuit against American Shaman in March, seeking to stop the sale of kratom products that the state contends violate existing drug laws. The case represents a significant legal challenge to the Kansas City-based company’s business operations.
Ongoing Legal Battle
Friday’s ruling does not resolve the underlying lawsuit but allows American Shaman to continue selling its kratom products while the case proceeds through the courts. The company has maintained that its products comply with applicable regulations.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services joined the attorney general’s office as a co-plaintiff in the legal action, emphasizing the state’s public health concerns about kratom products containing 7-OH compounds.
The case will now proceed through standard litigation procedures, with both sides expected to present additional evidence and expert testimony regarding the safety and legality of the kratom products in question.
