BILLINGS — A Southeast Asian plant marketed as a natural energy booster and mood enhancer is drawing scrutiny from health officials after users report severe addiction and physical side effects from high potency kratom-based products sold at convenience stores.
Raylee Reinhart, a mother of three, discovered the hard way that kratom's promise of "plant-based, natural energy" can lead down a dangerous path. After completing alcohol abuse treatment in 2023, Reinhart found herself consuming eight to 10 Feel Free kratom shots daily, experiencing hair loss and escalating dependency.
"It tastes disgusting, seriously disgusting. But the feeling that it gives you is like really relaxed, no anxiety," Reinhart said. "You just basically feel completely calm and it kind of would give you like the feeling of an opiate would."
Her sister Sarah Reinhart battled the same addiction. Both women believe they had found a safer alternative to alcohol.
Recently, Reinhart created a social media post, warning others to not use kratom products.
The Food and Drug Administration recently published an advisory warning consumers against kratom use, citing safety concerns about the unregulated substance. Despite these warnings, kratom products remain widely available in gas stations and convenience stores across the country.
"Consumers really don't know what they're consuming and there aren't any kind of checkpoints along the way, yet it's as dangerous as an opioid," said Melissa Henderson, public health services director at RiverStone Health.
Henderson announced that Billings will crack down on kratom sales, emphasizing that because the substance isn't FDA-approved, it cannot be sold in food establishments, including gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants.
The small bottles, often containing two servings in a single container, promise mood enhancement and energy boosts. However, kratom affects the same brain receptors as opioids, according to health experts.
Feel Free by Botanic Tonics launched in 2020. A company spokesperson told MTN News the product contains natural kratom, not synthetic versions, and includes usage warnings and age restrictions.
"Each Feel Free bottle contains directions for use and warnings against misuse," the spokesperson said, noting consumption limits of one bottle per 24-hour period and prohibiting use by anyone under 21. "The product is a dietary supplement, not a drug, and it is designed for healthy adults, not for those who suffer from substance abuse disorder or any other disease."
The company added the 21-year-old age restriction and serving size indicators in May 2024, reporting fewer than 1,000 consumer complaints in five years.
For Reinhart, recovery required professional treatment to safely discontinue kratom use. She now warns others about the deceptive marketing of these products.
"I finally was in bed crying one day just by myself and I called a treatment center in town to get into and get on the proper medication to get off of it," Reinhart said. "That's basically what saved my life from it."
Health officials recommend using naloxone (Narcan) on anyone suspected of overdosing from kratom products, as the substance triggers similar responses to opioid overdoses, though fatal overdoses from kratom alone remain rare.
