Four Years After Her Son’s Tragic Death, Lubbock Mom Warns Against Legal Drug

Please don’t mistake legal for safe.

Incredibly wise advice, but unfortunately, it's wisdom that many either don't know or don't heed. There are many, many supplements and legal drugs on the market, some with extremely shady sources and unclear/ unsafe dosing instructions. That's the advice one Lubbock mother is giving after the very untimely death of her son after ingesting kratom.

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What Is Kratom? Can You Buy It In Lubbock?

I'll be very honest from the get-go: I'm a Kratom hater. I tried it one time, and it tasted like spinach that long fermented in a gas station toilet. The effect? A dull, long-lasting headache. Boo. I do have some friends who use it and like it, so perhaps it was just not for me, but knowing how dangerous it can be, I won't use it again. If you like it, I won't yuck your yum, but I will encourage you to be very careful about dosing and the source you obtain it from. Because kratom is an opioid.

Kratom is derived from leaves of a tropical tree, Mitragyna speciosa, and has been used in traditional medicine for a very long time. In low doses, it can act as a stimulant, and in high doses, it can act as a pain reliever or sedative.
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Sounds like caffeine, yerba mate, nicotine, or any other of several natural "drugs". However, kratom has a long list of potentially serious side effects, including: "nausea, liver toxicity, seizures, and respiratory depression when combined with other substances." The kratom available at gas stations and other retail settings can be in extremely high concentrations, greatly amplifying these risks.

And if you are a habitual kratom user, you can have the same deeply unpleasant and dangerous withdrawal effects if you stop taking it. Kratom is legal in Texas and available at several locations in Lubbock; however, as of 2023, Texas has strict dosage laws, and you must be 18 or older to purchase it.

Lubbock Teen Dies After Kratom Consumption

Tragically, those stricter guidelines didn't happen before a Lubbock teen died after consuming kratom. He was only 19, healthy and athletic. Since this tragedy, his mother has been outspoken about the dangers of kratom consumption. Normally, I'm a "the poison is in the dose" advocate, and perhaps this is true here, too. However, when you have no way to know what dose you are taking of an opioid, well, no reasonable person can really hold you responsible for how much you consume.

So be safe out there, and remember that any reputable place that sells kratom should be able to answer any question you may have about the potency and source.