Narcotics unit investigating Ole Miss student deaths calls for ban on synthetic kratom

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss. (WMC/Gray News) - Law enforcement in Mississippi is calling on state lawmakers to ban synthetic kratom.

In a statement released Wednesday, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics discussed the drugs found at the scene of the deaths of two Ole Miss students last week.

Shortly after the deaths, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics issued a warning about kratom after packaging with the suspected substance was discovered.

“That warning was not a declaration that kratom or any specific substance caused either death. It was a proactive effort to inform the public of a potential danger while investigators worked to determine the facts,” the statement in response reads.

Court documents detail students’ activity before deaths

Toxicology tests are incomplete, but court documents filed Monday reveal what 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton and 20-year-old Robert Strang were doing in the hours and days before their suspected overdose deaths.

Investigators say both students purchased SMAX Pseudo-DHM pills, a chemically manipulated product, days before their deaths.

Investigators say records show Hamilton made multiple purchases at Puffs Vape Tobacco and Beer in Oxford. Two employees of that store were arrested and 500 units of kratom were seized.

The Metro Narcotics team also found an assortment of “THC cartridges, gummies, pre-rolls and other suspected THC substances.”

Recreational marijuana is still classified as an illegal Schedule I drug in the U.S.

Strang reportedly bought similar products from a store in Yalobusha County.

Narcotics unit calls for legislative action

“These investigations are far from over,” the statement released Wednesday reads.

The unit calls on Mississippi legislators to take immediate action to ban the synthetic kratom products.

“We need immediate legislative hearings, a thorough examination of the state’s controlled substance laws, and clear answers about how manufacturers, distributors and retailers can be held accountable when their actions put lives at risk,” the narcotics unit said.