California officers are warning the public about an inconspicuous but lethal complement sitting on fuel station cabinets across the state after it allegedly killed a man.

The complement, which markets itself as “cat’s claw,” contained dihydro-7-hydroxymirtragynine (MGM-15), a kratom-derived opioid.

Officials detected MGM-15 in a 37-year-old man who overdosed and died in late September after he took the complement. His cause of loss of life was dominated to be an accident brought about by the “toxic effects of kratom alkaloids.”

The complement, which markets itself as “cat’s claw,” contained dihydro-7-hydroxymirtragynine (MGM-15), a kratom-derived opioid. CBS

MGM-15 is 15 to 50 occasions stronger than morphine and is not authorized for medical use in people, officers said. The overdose was the first of its form in San Francisco after circumstances in Utah and Washington.

The purple package deal incorporates 100mg of alleged uncaria tomentosa, or “cat’s claw” and is labeled “Paradise Blend.” The model “Script Botanicals x Maui labs,” sells the complement.

Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medication at the University of California, San Francisco, instructed CBS News the package deal lures customers into a false sense of safety.

“It looks really not dangerous,” she said. “People buy it, they’ll take it as a supplement and they think it’ll give them energy…but if you take too much of them it can depress your ability to breathe and you can die from it.”

Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medication at the University of California, San Francisco, instructed CBS News the package deal lures customers into a false sense of safety. CBS

Cat’s claw comes from a woody vine in the Amazon forest and is promoted for a selection of advantages, including aid for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, most cancers, viral infections, and other situations. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Kratom is marketed as a complement that boosts vitality and temper. CBS

Cat’s claw comes from a woody vine in the Amazon forest and is promoted for a selection of advantages, including aid for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, most cancers, viral infections, and other situations.

The natural complement on its own does not comprise MGM-15.

MGM-15 is a chemically modified type of 7-hydroxymitragynine, which is discovered naturally in kratom.

Kratom is marketed as a complement that boosts vitality and temper.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche beforehand warned about artificial opioids in shopper merchandise.

“These are potent opioids being manufactured and sold in consumer products, often under labels that obscure their true risks,” Blanche said.

The harmful fuel station complement revelation comes as San Francisco and California take the brunt of the opioid disaster. San Francisco endured 625 unintended overdose deaths in 2025 and 2,298 deaths in LA County.

The California Post reached out to Script Botanicals for remark.

Download The California Post App, comply with us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home supply: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!