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The Texas Tribune

National

By Stephen Simpson, Data reporting by Dan Keemahill

Kratom poisoning calls climb in Texas as the state fails to enforce ban on synthetic version

Texas Ronaldo Bolaños The Texas Tribune

A worker shifts a barrel of Kratom inside the 1836 Kratom warehouse and headquarters Friday, Aug. 8, 2025 in Pflugerville, TX. Kratom is shipped to the United States as a crushed powder and is distributed by 1836 Kratom into various consumption forms. — A worker shifts a barrel of kratom inside the 1836 Kratom warehouse and headquarters in Pflugerville on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. 1836 Kratom produces the natural form of Kratom, and owners Tiffani and Jeremy Steding caution against the use of synthetic kratom, often called 7-OH. (Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune)

As Texas lawmakers debate a ban on the synthetic THC industry, another unregulated, but deadlier synthetic drug known as kratom is lying in wait to take over the ever-growing statewide demand for recreational drugs.

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