Carr Calls on Convenience Stores to Remove Dangerous Kratom Products Immediately

ATLANTA, GA - Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is calling on all convenience stores throughout the state to remove dangerous kratom products from their shelves immediately, particularly those products that are regularly marketed to children and teens.

"It shouldn't take legislation or law enforcement to do the right thing," said Carr. "Every minute these products remain on our shelves, innocent lives are put at risk. This problem could be solved today if all of our convenience stores step up, remove this poison from their shelves, and put safety first."

Carr issued his directive at today's meeting of the Georgia House of Representatives Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Youth Exposure to Kratom and Retail Available Substances. He also pushed for a new law that would ban all kratom-derived products in the state, with a narrow list of approved items. As part of his remarks, Carr discussed the rising threat of kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), an opioid-like substance that is addictive and roughly 13 times more potent than morphine. Manufacturers now synthesize 7-OH into tablets, gummies, shots and powders, then sell it as "kratom" at gas stations and smoke shops across the state.

In 2025, Carr warned Georgians about the dangers of kratom and other products containing 7-OH. He also recently authored an op-ed outlining his legislative proposal.

Case Examples

Last month, two University of Mississippi students, one of which was from Georgia, were found dead in separate incidents in Oxford. While the investigation is ongoing, law enforcement recovered packaged kratom at the scene - the same type of kratom product that is sold in communities throughout the state.

In 2021, 23-year-old Ethan Pope died after consuming a liquid kratom product.

The Georgia Poison Center has handled roughly 543 kratom exposure cases since 2021, which includes a 66 percent increase in cases between 2022 and 2025, with the vast majority requiring treatment at a healthcare facility.

Proposed Solution

Carr argues that Georgia's existing law, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, does not go far enough to address the issue. While this statute bans synthetic 7-OH outright, currently, law enforcement must find and identify a product, seize it as evidence, test it, and then prove what is in it.

Carr is pushing for legislators to reverse the model - requiring that all kratom-related products be presumed illegal for retail sale unless the state has affirmatively approved it. Under this approach, policymakers would establish a short, public list of products that meet clear standards, such as independent lab testing, accurate labeling and federal marketing authorization. Products not included on that list would be treated as contraband, subject to seizure by any law enforcement agency anywhere in the state.

The state took a similar approach to address gray-market and counterfeit-stamped cigarettes years ago - treating them as contraband by statute and authorizing seizures.

Carr's Previous Actions to Combat the Opioid Crisis

Just last week, Carr hosted his final meeting of the Statewide Opioid Task Force - an initiative he launched in 2017 in response to the opioid crisis. Carr was joined by over 150 public, private and non-profit partners to share how far the state has come in this fight, highlighting several key stats and initiatives.

• According to the CDC, overdose deaths in the U.S. declined for the third year in a row in 2025.
• Last month, Carr's Gang Prosecution Unit secured the indictment of six individuals in Chatham County following a multi-state investigation into the trafficking of illegal narcotics, including carfentanil - a synthetic opioid that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
• In 2024, Carr's Gang Prosecution Unit worked with law enforcement in Richmond County to seize 15 lbs. of fentanyl - enough to kill 3.5 million Georgians.
• Carr partnered with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia to prosecute a Savannah doctor who was operating a pill mill that dispensed massive amounts of controlled substances - sometimes in return for cash or sex.
• By initiating legal action against opioid manufacturers, distributors and retail pharmacies, Carr has been able to secure more than one billion dollars for our state and local governments to expand access to critical treatment, prevention, and recovery services. The funds will be received and distributed over time, the majority of which will be administered by the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust.
• Carr previously urged Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. Xylazine is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer used for large animals and the top ingredient found in fentanyl powder, including fentanyl trafficked by the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels.
• Carr also pushed for the U.S. Senate to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, legislation that closes the loophole for copycat fentanyl in federal law and saves American lives.