SF Reports First Fatal Overdose From Kratom-Derived Opioid as SFPD Raids Smoke Shops

The first fatal overdose in SF involving MGM-15, a potent kratom-derived opioid sold in products marketed as supplements, has prompted a health alert as police seize hundreds of kratom products and other items from local smoke shops.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health recently reported a death involving dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as MGM-15, a semisynthetic opioid derived from kratom, as KRON4 reports. The substance was recently added to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule I list of controlled substances.

MGM-15 was listed in the toxicology results of an adult who died in late September, as well as in the packaging of the product the person consumed, officials said. The death marks San Francisco’s first reported fatal overdose involving the substance, which has previously been linked to overdose deaths in Utah and Washington.

According to KRON4, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) warned that MGM-15 is a semisynthetic opioid derived from kratom that is not approved for any medical use. High doses can cause serious complications, including respiratory depression, coma, and death.

Officials warn that products containing the potent opioid have been found in smoke shops and gas stations, marketed under names such as “uncaria tomentosa” and “cat’s claw,” which can give consumers little indication of what they are actually ingesting, per KRON4.

The product involved in San Francisco’s fatal overdose was branded “Script Botanical x Maui labs,” according to SFDPH. Officials said the packaging differed from products associated with deaths in Utah and Washington and made no mention of kratom or 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).

Separately, the San Francisco Police Department announced Wednesday that in September and October, officers served search warrants at two shops, seizing hundreds of kratom products along with suspected psilocybin, flavored tobacco products, nitrous oxide, and drug paraphernalia. The SFPD is working with the City Attorney’s Office on the investigations.

During a September 10 search of a shop on the 1400 block of Haight Street, officers seized items suspected of containing psilocybin mushrooms, kratom, and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), as well as flavored vapes, nitrous oxide canisters, and glass pipes.

On October 9, officers searched a shop on the 4600 block of Geary Boulevard that lacked a license to sell tobacco products. Police seized more than 200 flavored vapes, over 400 kratom products, tobacco products, drug pipes and paraphernalia, suspected psilocybin products, and other evidence.

According to the police department, Kratom and 7-OH are not currently classified as scheduled drugs under federal law, although certain kratom-derived substances, including MGM-15, are controlled. Kratom products can contain compounds with stimulant-like effects, while 7-OH can produce opioid-like effects.

All of these substances are frequently marketed as herbal supplements or sold in packaging that may not clearly communicate their risks. The SFPD said it would continue targeting suspected criminal activity, civil code violations, illegal product sales, and sales to minors.

The department credited the Alcohol Liaison Unit, the Department of Public Health, the Division of Food and Drug Safety, and the City Attorney’s Office with assisting in the investigations.

The MGM-15 alert follows a similar warning SFDPH issued in April about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid not derived from fentanyl that was linked to a teenager’s fatal overdose earlier that month. At the time, the department said the drug had recently appeared in San Francisco for the first time.

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