Kansas City CBD Company Stops Selling Kratom Products After State Lawsuit
CBD American Shaman agrees to halt all Missouri kratom sales after Attorney General Catherine Hanaway sued over deceptive marketing practices.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — The state’s largest kratom distributor has agreed to immediately halt all Missouri sales of kratom and 7-OH products following a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Catherine Hanaway.
CBD American Shaman, based in Kansas City, reached the settlement agreement with Hanaway’s office Thursday, ending litigation that began in March. The company will suspend all in-state sales of kratom products both in stores and online.
“We stepped in to shut down deceptive tactics that put public health in danger,” Hanaway said in a press release Thursday. “This resolution protects consumers by taking these products off Missouri shelves. Retailers who use free samples and misleading marketing to hook consumers, especially those struggling with addiction, will face swift enforcement.”
Attorney General Targeted Marketing Practices
Hanaway’s March lawsuit specifically challenged American Shaman’s marketing of 7-OH, short for 7-hydroxymitragynine, which she described as “hazardous opioids” banned under state and federal law. The attorney general alleged the company offered “free samples” of the addictive substance without properly disclosing addiction risks in its marketing materials.
The settlement requires American Shaman to abandon all Missouri-targeted retail advertising, including billboards. Within 30 days, the company must implement “controls and contract terms in place to prevent Missouri retail sales,” according to Hanaway’s office.
$5 Million Penalty for Violations
The agreement includes strict enforcement mechanisms should American Shaman violate the terms. If the company makes any retail sale of kratom products in Missouri, the attorney general may seek immediate court orders to stop the conduct.
Should American Shaman fail to remedy any breach quickly, Hanaway may invoke an agreed $5 million penalty against the company. The settlement effectively removes Missouri’s largest kratom distributor from the state market.
The resolution comes as state lawmakers have debated potential legislation regarding 7-OH products, with previous proposals facing bipartisan resistance in the Missouri Senate. Hanaway’s enforcement action through the courts bypassed the legislative process to remove what she characterized as dangerous products from Missouri shelves.
