Kratom industry warns synthetic opioids should not be called 'kratom'

Amid the ongoing investigation into the deaths of two Ole Miss students, representatives of the kratom industry are speaking out about how the product may have been mischaracterized.Court documents show that Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were discovered dead on Sept.21 at two separate locations.Initial reports stated that products described as "packaged kratom" or "synthetic kratom" were found near both students.

In a Sept.30 statement, however, investigators said only that "packaging associated with kratom-related products" had been recovered at both scenes.WHAT IS KRATOM? RISKS OF POPULAR SUBSTANCE REVEALED AFTER COLLEGE STUDENTS' DEATHS"During the investigations, packaging associated with kratom-related products was discovered at both locations," Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, a department in the sheriff's office, said in the Wednesday statement.Toxicology results from the medical examiner are still pending.Amid the ongoing investigation into the deaths of two Ole Miss students, representatives of the kratom industry are speaking out about how the product may have been mischaracterized.

(American Kratom Association)Packaging found near both students bears the name Modus, according to court documents.The affidavit describes the tablets as Smax Pseudo-DHM, and lists pseudoindoxyl and MGM-15(DHM) among the ingredients on the pack found near Hamilton.Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy at the American Kratom Association in Virginia, spoke with Fox News Digital on Thursday about the initial reports of packaged kratom at the two locations where the students were discovered.OLE MISS NAMES STUDENTS FOUND DEAD AS OFFICIAL ADDRESSES POTENTIAL FOR FOUL PLAY"We were deeply concerned with that characterization, because it is highly unlikely, if not statistically improbable, that a natural kratom leaf product would be the cause of two deaths independently, let alone one," he said.After attempting to contact the Oxford police department, Haddow said th...