Dana and John Pope had never heard of kratom before their 23-year-old son, Ethan, was found dead on the kitchen floor in his apartment last December with his puppy by his side.
Extracted from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, kratom is used to make capsules, powders and liquids and is marketed as an aid for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. In Georgia and some other states, it’s often sold at gas stations and smoke shops.
A Georgia Bureau of Investigation autopsy found that Ethan Pope died from mitragynine intoxication and had no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system. Mitragynine is a psychoactive compound in kratom, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
