Authorities are investigating the deaths of two Ole Miss students after kratom packages from a retail store were found at both scenes. Neither student has been identified, and narcotics investigators have not confirmed whether the deaths are connected.
WDSU reported that one student was found Tuesday in a campus dorm room and the other at an off-campus home. Narcotics investigators urged the public to avoid kratom.
Kratom is a plant-based psychoactive extract sold in powder, liquid and pill forms. The DEA says low doses act as a stimulant and high doses have sedative effects. It can be addictive and has not been shown safe or to treat medical conditions. Yale Medicine says products made with chemically altered 7-OH are the most dangerous forms; the Mayo Clinic says nearly all kratom-related deaths involve other drugs or harmful substances.
