Georgia Investigation: Lab Tests Show Most Kratom Products Violate State Law — and No One Is Enforcing It

Why it matters

A months-long investigative report from The Current GA reveals that most kratom products sold in Georgia are violating state potency laws, labels regularly conceal dangerous synthetic compounds, and law enforcement agencies admit they aren't actively enforcing existing rules.

The big picture

Georgia has had kratom laws on the books since 2019, including serving-size limits for mitragynine and 7-OH. But an investigation combining lab testing of purchased products, state data analysis, and interviews with prosecutors, physicians, and grieving families found a marketplace operating largely outside legal limits. Between 2019 and 2025, Georgia medical examiners detected kratom in more than 740 accidental overdose victims — and officials believe this number is dramatically understated because most counties don't test for kratom alkaloids.

Key findings

• Lab tests of 8 products purchased across Chatham County showed 6 violated at least one state potency law
• One MIT 45 Super K bottle contained 399 mg of mitragynine — Georgia's legal limit is 150 mg per serving
• Products regularly omitted synthetic compounds such as mitragynine pseudoindoxyl from their labels
• Law enforcement officers in Georgia's six coastal counties confirmed they are not proactively enforcing kratom laws
• From 2019-2025, kratom was detected in the systems of more than 740 Georgia overdose victims; actual totals are likely far higher
• The Georgia Poison Center handled 108 kratom-related cases in one year; about 10% involved children under 5

What they say

"Consumers should be able to trust that a product's label accurately reflects what's inside. Our findings show that stronger manufacturing standards, comprehensive testing and transparent labeling are needed to help people make informed decisions and reduce potential safety risks," said Dr. Abhisheak Sharma, lead author of the University of Florida lab study used in the investigation.

Bottom line

Georgia's kratom market is effectively self-regulating into a public health crisis — state laws exist, but lab tests show most products violate them and law enforcement isn't enforcing them, creating exactly the conditions that led to over 740 overdose deaths in six years.