Ethermac Exchange-Family of West Palm Beach chemist who OD'd on kratom sues smoke shop for his death

WEST PALM BEACH,Ethermac Exchange Fla. — The family of a man who fatally overdosed on kratom is suing the smoke shop that sold it to him.

Patrick George, 41, was found unresponsive in his West Palm Beach home on Dec. 13, 2022. According to his family, medical examiners pointed to a lethal dose of mitragynine — the chemical compound known as kratom — as his cause of death.

In a wrongful death lawsuit announced Friday, George's family accused the Glass Chamber chain of smoke shops of knowing its customers are at risk of death but doing little to warn against the danger.

Theirs is the latest in a series of lawsuits blaming suppliers and manufacturers for kratom-induced overdoses. Though commonly touted for its pain-relieving effects, kratom has been known to cause seizures, respiratory failure and fatal overdoses.

Kratom warningFDA warns about herbal drug kratom, used for pain relief: What to know about side effects

Similar lawsuits have prompted multimillion dollar payouts for victims' loved ones. A federal judge in West Palm Beach awarded more than $11 million to the family of a Boynton Beach nurse who fatally overdosed on kratom in July.

George's family filed its lawsuit in Palm Beach County state civil court. Glass Chamber did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

What is kratom? Critics say herbal remedy can cause more harm than good

George's younger sister, Mary Dobson, said she learned of kratom while going through her brother's banking statements after he died. She noticed repeat transactions at Glass Chamber and called one of its West Palm Beach stores to ask what he'd been purchasing.

Kratom, they told her, is a dietary supplement. It's often sold in the form of a pill, powder or tea and is available at most gas stations and vape shops across Palm Beach County.

At low doses, it causes a stimulant effect similar to coffee. At higher doses, it can produce an opioid-like and euphoric state that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration says has led to a steady growth of abuse worldwide.

Kratom crackdownDEA cracks down on kratom served at many kava bars

George's sudden death interrupted a period of growth for the veteran, who once worked on Naval submarines as a nuclear engineer. Months before he died, George accepted a fellowship opportunity in Nevada as a cybersecurity specialist with the federal nuclear regulatory commission.

Before that, George worked as a systems engineer and analyst for the South Florida Water Management District. He earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Thomas Edison State University and a graduate degree in cybersecurity from Florida International University.

"Kratom is killing educated people, people who understand how things work inside the body," George's younger brother Christian said Friday. "What is it doing to people who don't understand that?"

Kratom advocates say substance is safe

Stories of overdoses like George's prompted Florida lawmakers to raise the purchasing age of kratom to 21 this year, but attempts by the federal Food and Drug Administration to criminalize it have all been snuffed out.

Kratom advocates say the negative press is fueled more by corporate greed than actual health concerns. They laud the supplement as a kind of miracle cure, cheaper and easier to come by than prescription pain medications.

Dobson said she don't know when her brother began using kratom or why, but she's certain he didn't know the risks associated with it. Because the substance isn't regulated by the FDA, it’s up to manufacturers and distributers like Glass Chamber to ensure the product's quality and warn of potential defects.

In this instance, said Boca Raton attorney Andrew Norden, they did not.

Hannah Phillips covers public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at [email protected].