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The parents of a Clackamas County man are suing a popular chain of Portland-area head shops, saying it is falsely marketing a dangerous drug as safe.
Matthew Torres died from a kratom overdose in 2021, according to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Torres’ mother in Multnomah County Circuit Court today. The lawsuit is demanding $10 million.
Kratom, an herb native to Southeast Asia, has been tied to various health risks and is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Still, it’s a widely popular as a stimulant and stores sell it anyway.
On May 26, 2021, the lawsuit alleges, Torres consumed kratom purchased from “various” House of Pipes locations and had a “violent seizure.” He subsequently died. The Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office blamed it on “toxic effects of mitragynine,” the chemical in kratom. Six states and some countries have banned it outright.
The chain had marketed the drug, which it sold under its house brand “Real Kratom,” as a treatment for chronic pain, according to the lawsuit, although with a warning: “Sold for research purposes, not for human consumption.”
“Despite the serious risks of kratom use, companies such as Defendants continue to market kratom products without appropriate warnings or guidance for consumption,” the lawsuit says.
WW could not reach the owner of House of Pipes for comment. A clerk at the chain’s Northeast Broadway location said he didn’t know the owner’s phone number or email. The chain’s website is not currently functional.
Similar wrongful death suits have been filed across the country. Last year, a Washington jury found an Oregon company liable for the death of a Portland boat mechanic who was taking the drug for back pain, awarding a $2.5 million verdict.