Supplement sold at gas stations blamed for California man's opioid overdose

Key Points:

• San Francisco health officials warn about mislabeled supplements sold as "cat’s claw" that contain MGM-15, a potent synthetic opioid-like chemical linked to a fatal overdose in a 37-year-old man.
• MGM-15 is a chemically modified form of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), an opioid-like compound naturally found in trace amounts in kratom, a Southeast Asian plant; the synthetic versions have higher potency and abuse potential.
• The U.S. Department of Justice has classified MGM-15, along with related synthetic compounds MGPl and MGM-16, as Schedule 1 drugs due to their high potential for abuse and lack of accepted medical use.
• Similar cases have emerged in Utah and Washington, where mislabeled "cat’s claw" supplements containing MGM-15 and MGPl have been linked to multiple deaths; these products are often sold in gas stations, smoke shops, and online.
• Public health officials emphasize that traditional cat’s claw, a plant used historically in South America, does not contain MGM-15, and there is no scientific evidence supporting its health benefits.