What's new

News: Man Dies of "Intoxication by K@". Guess Why Kava Is Mentioned?

kasa_balavu

Yaqona Dina
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/despite-local-mans-death-K@-users-feel-herb-is-safe/479734146

GULFPORT, Fla. — Some have never heard of the herbal supplement called K@. But at the Low Tide Kava Bar in Gulfport, it’s flowing in the form of K@ Tea.

“It’s a great social lubricant without getting the drunk feeling of alcohol,” said Low Tide General Manager Matt Wright.

The leaf from southeast Asia is dried and powdered and served in a drink form sweetened with lemon. Customers consider it perfectly safe despite the first-ever death of a Bay area man who overdosed taking an extract version of the herbal supplement.

“It’s all about moderation,” said customer Wendy Woods. “You just have to be careful and know what you’re ingesting.”

According to an autopsy report, 27-year-old Christopher Waldron died July 7. The cause of death: intoxication by K@.

The medical examiner reported finding a high level of the supplement in his blood along with a muscle relaxant. A thyroid issue was also mentioned.

Waldron’s mother tells 10News the packaging that the herbal supplement her son took came in had no instructions for safe dosage.

“What we tell everybody, don’t just take K@ that you buy off the internet or in a head shop,” said Wright. Get it from someone that knows what’s going into it.”

Last year, the DEA listed K@ as a “drug of concern” and considered making it illegal but later decided to hold off until the Food and Drug Administration had more time to study the substance to determine its possible medicinal value versus the potential for abuse.

The FDA won’t say when their analysis of K@ will be complete.

For now, customers at Low Tide will continue to enjoy K@’s effects, confident when used responsibly it can be perfectly safe.

“I would love to see more studies coming out,” said Wright. “I want to be able to prove to people that it is as safe as I know it can be as long as you don’t abuse it.”
It's a pretty balanced article and not overly negative, so that's a good thing. But the footage of the "kava" bar was interesting. I didn't see any kava.
 
Last edited:

Pounigirl

Kava Enthusiast
Ugh! Why is it always Florida! :mad: :banghead:
It's a shame that they called that place a kava bar. I didn't see any kava either.
 

verticity

I'm interested in things
That was not bad for the local news. But it is unfortunate that kava was mentioned, and that their K@ "authority" was some guy at a "kava bar" that had nothing to do with the guy who overdosed... Also it's not entirely clear if this was a polydrug overdose or not since they mention something about "muscle relaxants" also being in his system

I didn't see any kava, but the bartender dude did have a yangonin molecule on his shirt... which is an odd choice. I would have gone with kavain if I were designing a logo for a kava bar...
 

SelfBiasResistor

Persist for Resistance!
This is one of the reasons I think more focus should be given to companies that make shady extracts rather than tudei/isa.

They show the product (an extract) the guy was taking -- OPMS . Besides being marketed as Opium, the company that makes it is not known for quality control. There are lots of knock off's that would appear to be laced with more potent and dangerous synthetic opiods based off of posts on drug related forums. They even have a page on their website showing how to tell the real thing from a knock off with the warning "Several companies are illegally counterfeiting O.P.M.S. products, and some have been known to add dangerous ingredients into their mix". Obviously they know it's a problem.

They also make a kava extract - https://opmkratom.com/o-p-m-s-opk-kava/ "OPK Kava"
 

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
If you or someone you know has been harmed by OPMS K@ products, this information is for you. A class action lawsuit has been filed in the state of California on behalf of all persons affected by the alleged misleading, deceptive, and negligent sales practices regarding OPMS K@ products.

The lawsuit claims that OPMS, a popular K@ brand, failed to warn consumers about the addictive nature of its products, potentially causing harm to those who used them. If you have suffered any adverse effects as a result of using OPMS K@ products, you may be eligible to join the class action lawsuit and seek compensation.

For more information on the lawsuit, please visit the following link: https://www.classaction.org/news/o....@-products-can-be-addictive-class-action-says

The law firm representing the plaintiffs in this case is BURSOR & FISHER, P.A. If you believe you have been affected by the use of OPMS K@ products and would like to join the class action, please contact the firm directly:

Neal J. Deckant (State Bar No. 322946)
Luke W. Sironski-White (State Bar No. 348441)
BURSOR & FISHER, P.A.
1990 North California Blvd., Suite 940
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Telephone: (925) 300-4455
Facsimile: (925) 407-2700
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

By joining the class action lawsuit, you can help hold OPMS accountable for their alleged negligence and potentially receive compensation for any damages you have experienced as a result of using their K@ products. Don't hesitate to reach out to BURSOR & FISHER, P.A. for more information or to discuss your potential involvement in the case.

Summary:


The Superior Court of California in San Diego is hearing a class action lawsuit against Martian Sales, Inc., d/b/a O.P.M.S., filed by plaintiff C.B. on behalf of himself and others similarly situated. The complaint alleges that the defendant engaged in false, misleading, deceptive, and negligent sales practices regarding its K@ powder, capsule, and liquid extract products. According to the complaint, K@'s active ingredients are similar to opioids, working on the same opioid receptors in the human brain and carrying the same risk of physical addiction and dependency. The defendant allegedly failed to disclose this information on its labeling, packaging, or marketing materials, violating warranty law and state consumer protection laws. The plaintiff seeks relief for violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, False Advertising Law, breach of implied warranty, unjust enrichment, fraud by omission, and negligent misrepresentation.



Alleged counts:

  1. Violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200, et seq.
  2. Violation of California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1750, et seq.
  3. Violation of California’s False Advertising Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17500, et seq.
  4. Breach of Implied Warranty
  5. Unjust Enrichment
  6. Fraud by Omission
  7. Negligent Misrepresentation
 

Attachments

Top