KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. She's been covering synthetic 7-OH and American Shaman extensively as part of the KSHB 41 I-Team series: Strong High Weak Laws. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is suing American Shaman, a Kansas City-based company, for synthetic 7-OH and kratom manufacturing and sales.
Synthetic 7-OH, often referred to as 7-OH, has been reported to be highly addictive. Local addiction centers in Kansas City have reported a spike in patients seeking help, and multiple deaths have been linked to the active ingredients in 7-OH in the metro.
American Shaman and its founder, Vince Sanders, have been the target of state and federal investigations regarding the manufacturing and sale of kratom and its derivative products. In the latest lawsuit brought by the Missouri Attorney General's Office and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, American Shaman is accused of deceptively marketing 7-OH and kratom as "safe" products.
"It’s a drug pusher cliché: The first hit is free. It’s also American Shaman’s business model," the lawsuit states. "But unlike a street dealer, American Shaman and its offshoots operate on an industrial scale, in the open, on the fiction that the products they sell are legal dietary supplements. This is false. The drugs they peddle are deadly opioids banned by state and federal law."
The lawsuit comes after KSHB 41's Isabella Ledonne explored the impacts of synthetic 7-OH in the metro, amplifying the voices of medical experts, lawmakers and those recovering from 7-OH addiction.
"The way it grabs you is faster than anything I've ever done," Dwayne Whitmore told Ledonne. "Not only was I spending three grand a month on it, but I also couldn't go to sleep through the night without having to wake up and take it to get back to sleep. I would start withdrawing in two hours, full-blown withdrawals."
American Shaman is the region's main producer of 7-OH, though its products are often found in corner stores and gas stations. Its popularity being sold as an over-the-counter "alternative" for pain killers led some to coin it with a new name, "gas station heroin."
During a press conference on Tuesday, AG Hanaway announced the lawsuit targets American Shaman and its founder for causing significant harm to Missourians. It alleges American Shaman violates the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
"What we’re asking the courts to do is to [stop] any further sales," Hanaway said. "We want them to shut down American Shaman and their related companies as soon as possible, so no more Missourians can be hurt and/or killed by this product."
Synthetic 7-OH is a derivative of the natural leaf plant kratom. During an interview with Ledonne, Sanders explained he learned how to extract the active alkaloid in kratom, seven hydroxymitragynine, and produce a pure tablet form, known as 7-OH.
It's been on the market for nearly three years and has been reported to be up to 14 times stronger than morphine.
According to records obtained by KSHB 41 News, the active ingredient in kratom and 7-OH, mitragynine, was a factor or contributed to at least eight deaths in Johnson County, Kansas, and one death in Kansas City, Missouri, in the last two years.
About two months ago, the city of Kansas City, Missouri, passed legislation that bans "gas station drugs," including synthetic 7-OH. It regulates natural leaf kratom as a 21+ product.
In November 2025, the FDA seized nearly 73,000 7-OH and kratom products from American Shaman's warehouses in Kansas City. AG Hanaway later launched her initial investigation into American Shaman and other kratom companies for "deceptively" marketing 7-OH and kratom.
Both the Missouri and Kansas state legislatures have introduced and voted on bills that would schedule synthetic 7-OH as a Schedule I substance and ban its manufacturing and sales.
So far, 7-OH is still legal at the state and federal levels.
Throughout the numerous investigations, seizures and ban attempts of synthetic 7-OH, Sanders has stood by the safety of his products.
“We are aware that the Missouri Attorney General has filed a lawsuit, and we take the matter seriously," Sanders wrote in a statement. "We have consistently maintained that our products are safe, and we have been transparent in sharing the scientific support and quality information behind them. We intend to defend this case and continue to serve our customers.”
Hanaway's lawsuit asks the court for a preliminary injunction to start the process of removing 7-OH products from store shelves. If the court rules in favor of the AG, American Shaman could be fined up to $1,000 per violation.
More in-depth coverage on synthetic 7-OH and the response from American Shaman can be found here.
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