Arizona has launched a kratom lawsuit against the company behind Feel Free, a flavoured tonic that the state says hides its risks behind a wellness image. Attorney General Kris Mayes filed the complaint against Botanic Tonics, LLC in Maricopa County Superior Court on 23 September 2026. The announcement calls it a first in the nation.

The kratom lawsuit accuses the company of breaking the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act. According to the complaint, Botanic Tonics promoted its two ounce kratom shots as energy drinks. It also obscured how much kratom they contain. On top of that, it did not properly disclose the risks of addiction and withdrawal.

What the kratom lawsuit alleges

Feel Free contains kratom and kava, two psychoactive substances. Kratom produces effects similar to opioids, and people call it “gas station heroin”. Kava carries health risks too, particularly in concentrated amounts or alongside other substances. Feel Free puts both into one easy to drink, flavoured shot. The complaint says the company markets it for regular use. Convenience stores across Arizona stock it at the counter.

Botanic Tonics has sold the drink at petrol stations, convenience stores and other mainstream shops, as well as online. Meanwhile, the state says the company pitched Feel Free as a wellness tonic, an energy product, a kava drink and an alternative to alcohol.

Why the kratom legal action targets the marketing

The complaint goes further than labelling. It argues that Feel Free was purposely designed to look innocuous, and it sets out four main concerns.

First, the state alleges the company tried to obscure the kratom content. It says Botanic Tonics also failed to explain the risks of addiction, dependence and withdrawal. Second, it says the company sold Feel Free as a benign wellness and energy product, even though it knew the risks told a different story.

Third, the company promoted the drink as an alternative to alcohol, including to people seeking sobriety. The state says it never made clear that customers were swapping one substance for another, and both carry a risk of dependence and withdrawal. Finally, the complaint points to sales tactics built to keep people buying. Those include recurring subscriptions and big discounts for subscribers. There was also a rewards programme that paid out more as customers spent more.

Marketing that reached young people

Botanic Tonics pushed hard in Arizona and across the United States. The state says that helped it become a top selling kratom product. Its youth focused advertising campaign used colleges and college students, according to the complaint. Through that campaign, the company has sold millions of kratom shots in Arizona since 2020.

This kratom legal action says that approach put young people at risk. Mayes alleges the company “repeatedly and willfully violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and endangered the health and safety of Arizonans, including minors”.

The numbers behind the kratom lawsuit

The Arizona Department of Health Services has identified 146 documented kratom deaths in the state between 2020 and 2023 alone. That figure covers kratom as a whole, not Feel Free specifically. Even so, it shows the scale of the worry.

Mayes wants people to look past the packaging. She says that “behind feel free’s appealing marketing, there is real danger of addiction and other mental and physical harm”. She adds that kratom products are addictive and can have lasting health consequences for children and adults.

What happens next

The kratom lawsuit now sits with the court, and the claims remain allegations. The aim, Mayes says, is to stop these practices and hold Botanic Tonics fully accountable under Arizona law. Her office will not tolerate companies that sell these products without adequate safeguards, she says.

The Attorney General’s Office will set up a forum at a later date. Consumers will be able to share their experiences with Feel Free and other kratom products there. In the meantime, the case makes one point hard to miss. A bright label and a spot beside the till say little about what is inside the bottle.

Whatever the outcome, this kratom lawsuit has already pushed an uncomfortable question into the open. Arizona’s shoppers will be watching the answer.

Source: dbrecoveryresources