Kratom is sold in smoke shops, advertised on Seattle sidewalks, and available at gas stations. And as increasingly potent kratom products spread across Washington, the state’s poison center is seeing a sharp rise in calls.
However, Washington remains one of 16 states without any statewide regulations governing kratom, according to the American Kratom Association.
When Tiffany Mercer first tried kratom, she believed she was taking an herbal supplement that could give her a little energy and help her through a difficult period in her life.
A friend had recommended it while Mercer, a mother of two from Vancouver, was going through a divorce and struggling with anxiety and sleep.
“He assured me it wasn’t addictive, that it was an herbal supplement,” Mercer told KIRO 7. At first, she said, the effects seemed minimal. She thought of using kratom almost like having a daily cup of coffee.
“I was using it pretty much every day from the gate,” Mercer said.
Eventually, once a day became every few hours.
“I started taking it every few hours and needing it just to feel OK, just to feel normal,” she said.
When Mercer tried to quit cold turkey, she said she experienced severe withdrawal symptoms, including itching, chills, sweating, and nausea.
“It is pure torment,” Mercer said. “I can’t describe it any other way. It was torture.”
Her experience comes as the Washington Poison Center reports a sharp rise in calls involving kratom and its active compounds.
Data provided to KIRO 7 show kratom and 7-OH-related calls increased 433% over the past three years, with the sharpest rise in 2026. The calls range from overdoses to people going through withdrawal. Data shows 176 calls reported through the end of September, with September bringing in a call to the Washington Poison Center just about every day.
What is Kratom and 7-OH?
Kratom comes from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia and has a history of use for purposes including pain relief and energy. But now, it has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. Market research shows that, globally, kratom-related product sales are generating more than $2 billion a year, with some studies saying the market generated more than $4 billion in 2026.
Kratom products can now be found at smoke shops and gas stations, including drinks, powders, and tablets. Of particular concern to poison experts is 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly called 7-OH, one of kratom’s active compounds.
Manufacturers can isolate or concentrate the compound into significantly more potent products.
Dr. Jimmy Leonard, chief clinical officer at the Washington Poison Center, described 7-OH to KIRO 7 as “essentially an unregulated opioid.”
“It may cause slowed and stopped breathing, may cause death,” Leonard said.
Leonard said he is particularly concerned about accidental exposures involving children. Some 7-OH products come in small tablets that look like candy, with flavors like Sour Strawberry and Blue Razz. Leonard said even a small amount could have serious consequences for a child.
“It’s enough to make a child comatose and stop breathing,” Leonard said. “We’ve had a few that have had to receive naloxone.”
Easy to find, but largely unregulated in Washington
Despite those concerns, KIRO 7 found kratom and 7-OH products openly advertised and sold at stores around the Seattle area. At University Smoke Shop in Seattle, employee Cassie York said demand for stronger products has grown along with kratom’s popularity.
“Definitely, as people use it more and more, they want stronger stuff,” York said.
Some products KIRO 7 examined carry warnings about addiction, withdrawal, and even death. Most packaging also said purchasers should be 21 or older. However, Washington does not have a statewide age requirement for purchasing kratom.
Thirty-three states have adopted some form of kratom regulation, while nine have enacted bans, according to the American Kratom Association. In Washington, cities including Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Spokane have taken action with local bans, but there is no statewide regulatory framework.
Leonard said the lack of regulation concerns him.
When asked what he would tell a parent who found kratom or 7-OH in a child’s room, Leonard was blunt.
“They need help, right? This is an opioid,” he said.
Federal action has not removed 7-OH products from shelves in Washington
Federal regulators have also begun targeting certain kratom-related compounds.
In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration took emergency action involving certain compounds related to 7-OH (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16), placing them into Schedule I. And in October, the Department of Justice recommended taking additional action to remove 7-OH compounds beyond a certain strength from store shelves. The DEA is not currently looking to ban all kratom products.
But multiple smoke shops KIRO 7 visited said the federal action so far had little effect on what they were selling.
“We didn’t have to pull anything,” York said.
Kratom supporters say regulation must also consider people who believe the products provide benefits.
York said she frequently sees customers who previously used opioids turning to kratom.
“I definitely see a lot of former opioid addicts using it,” she said. “I’ve heard it helps with withdrawals, cravings.”
York acknowledged that kratom can be abused and become addictive, but said other legal substances also carry risks. She also believes the industry could use stricter rules.
“I think it could be maybe regulated a little bit better, labeled a little better,” York said.
New push for regulation in Olympia
State Rep. Kassie Reeves, D-Federal Way, is among the lawmakers seeking statewide rules for kratom.
Reeves introduced legislation last session aimed at establishing a Kratom Consumer Protection Act and plans to push for legislation again during the upcoming legislative session.
“Do Washington lawmakers have a responsibility to protect people from kratom and related products?” KIRO7’s Deedee Sun asked.
“Yes, absolutely, absolutely, Reeves said. She said HB 2291 didn’t pass last session because lawmakers were still familiarizing themselves with the topic and details didn’t get ironed out. She’s hopeful regulations will pass in 2027. But she also acknowledged that budget challenges in Olympia could present a challenge.
“The synthetic version, that is the version that most mimics fentanyl - and we’ve really got to do the work to ensure that that’s not in our communities, that our kids aren’t getting access to that,” Reeves said.
For Mercer, the debate over regulation is deeply personal.
While she was trying to quit kratom on her own, Mercer said she was at work when she felt her body begin to shut down.
“I was like, I feel like I’m gonna die,” she recalled.
Mercer said she initially resisted going to the hospital because she was going through a divorce and feared that seeking addiction treatment could jeopardize custody of her children.
“I would rather die than go to the hospital,” she remembered. But eventually, she went to the emergency room.
Mercer said doctors initially struggled to determine how to treat her symptoms before one suggested Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder.
“I was floored,” Mercer said. “I’m like, that’s for heroin addicts. I’ve never done heroin.” She said the medication brought rapid relief.
“Within like 20 minutes, I felt better than I had in a year,” she said.
Months of treatment and rehabilitation followed.
“I just had surrendered,” Mercer said. “I was like, I’m willing to lose it all to get better.”
Mercer said she lost her job and had to fight to maintain custody of her children while recovering, but eventually stopped using kratom.
Today, she has started an Instagram page called “Kicking Kratom,” where she shares her experience and tries to warn others about the risks she encountered.
“It’s just become kind of an act of defiance,” Mercer said about the videos where she kicks down signs advertising kratom.
Now she’s hoping her story can help someone else find a way out.
“If I know that I helped them get through the hell that I was in, it’s all worth it,” Mercer said.
Watch KIRO 7 News live tonight at 5:30 p.m. for the full story.