'13 times stronger than morphine': The supplement soon banned from Utah convenience stores

MOAB — A Utah woman says her brother was killed using a product readily available in Utah gas stations and convenience stores. Since his death, the Utah Legislature had passed a law to restrict the supplement called kratom.

Kratom-based products are marketed as energy supplements and often labeled as a safer, more natural alternative to pain management medications. Soon, the products will be removed from Utah shelves.

Autumn Knight spoke to KSL about the death of her brother, Aaron Smiley.

"Aaron was just an amazing soul," Knight said. "He gave. He gave more than he was given."

Smiley died in February 2025 in Moab. Knight said his cause of death was ruled "undetermined" by the medical examiner even though he showed all the symptoms of a drug overdose.

"There was nothing else in his system but kratom," Knight said.

Knight explained how her brother used enhanced kratom products for about three years before his death and purchased them at local gas stations.

"Realizing after he was found the amounts of kratom that he was using and ordering, kind of put everything in perspective," Knight said.

What is kratom?

Knight and her family were confused about how kratom could have caused Smiley's death and asked Dr. Paula Cook for help understanding what had happened. Cook is an addiction medicine physician at Moab Regional Hospital.

"It's marketed as like a botanical supplement to kind of help with mood or pain, but it does have opioid properties," Cook explained. "So people do have a risk of developing tolerance to it, withdrawal or addiction."

Kratom is the leaf of a tropical tree, Mitragyna speciosa, found in southeast Asia. Based on dosage, it can have both sedative and stimulating effects and is used by some people for pain management. Kratom leaf contains two main psychoactive ingredients: 7-hydroxymitragynine, better known as 7-OH, and mitragynine.

Kratom is not currently approved by the FDA for any medical use. The most harmful products, according to some medical experts, are kratom extracts and synthetic 7-OH.

"It's about 13 times stronger than morphine, the 7-OH product," Cook said.

Cook warns users that the dosage can be unclear because these products aren't regulated. In her own practice, Cook said the number of patients she's treating who are using kratom is rising.

"Most of them are telling me that they're buying them as little tablets and little blister packs or gummies," Cook said.

Kratom regulated by Utah Legislature

During the 2026 legislative session, SB45 passed and as of Saturday, the bill was awaiting Gov. Spencer Cox's signature.

Once signed into law, the legislation would ban the sale of all enhanced or synthesized kratom products in Utah effective May 6. Whole leaf kratom will still be available, the most basic version of the product, but it will only be for sale in smoke shops to customers 21 and over.

The bill also impacts how these products are made. Effective March 6, 2027, it will no longer be legal to manufacture enhanced kratom in Utah. Products made elsewhere will still be available to customers purchasing online.

Cook said that just like an opioid overdose, a kratom product overdose can be treated with naloxone; she recommends every home have the anti-overdose drug in their emergency kit. Utahns can get naloxone, also known as narcan, at any pharmacy over the counter or for free at utahnaloxone.org.

For those who feel they need help overcoming an addiction to kratom products, Cook said there are resources available. She recommended Utah Recovers or reaching out to your primary care physician.

Related topics