The American Kratom Association (AKA) has issued a response to warnings from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) and the Utah Poison Control Center regarding dangerous Cat's Claw tablets. These products have been linked to a recent death and several severe health incidents in Utah. The AKA argues that labeling these tablets as kratom products is a mischaracterization of chemically manipulated opioid products.
The tablets, identified as Buzzers Cat's Claw, reportedly contain mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and MGM-15. According to the AKA, these are chemically manipulated, opioid-acting compounds concealed behind misleading labels rather than traditional kratom leaf products. Mac Haddow, a Senior Fellow on Public Policy with the AKA, stated that calling these products kratom products shifts blame from criminals trafficking synthetic drugs to responsible consumers of natural kratom leaf products.
These specific Cat's Claw products have been illegal since the passage of Utah's Kratom Consumer Protection Act in 2019. The AKA has called for the immediate removal of these products from the market and aggressive action against all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers involved in their sale in Utah.
The AKA has criticized recent legislative actions by Senator Mike McKell regarding enforcement capabilities. During the 2026 legislative session, the AKA recommended that UDAF receive increased enforcement funding through a kratom excise tax and expanded authority to issue administrative fines of up to $20,000 per illegal product.
Senator McKell's recently enacted 2026 legislation rejected these recommendations. The resulting law limited administrative fines for selling without required registration to a maximum of $5,000 and provided no money to support enforcement efforts. Haddow suggested that Utah consumers are now seeing the consequences of this policy failure.
The AKA advised consumers not to purchase or consume Buzzers Cat's Claw tablets. Officials recommend following safe-disposal guidance for anyone in possession of the product. In the event a person is not breathing or cannot be awakened, individuals should call 911 and administer naloxone if available.
