Queen Creek, Arizona — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes initiated a landmark consumer protection enforcement action on Wednesday, filing a lawsuit against Botanic Tonics, LLC over the marketing and distribution of its herbal tonic known as Feel Free. The civil complaint, submitted in Maricopa County Superior Court, asserts that the beverage manufacturer breached the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act by promoting two-ounce liquid shots as routine wellness supplements while downplaying severe hazards associated with habit formation and chemical dependency.
According to state prosecutors, the commercial tonic combines kava with kratom, a Southeast Asian plant derivative whose active alkaloids bind to opioid receptors in the human brain. While promotional campaigns positioned the blue bottles alongside convenience store checkout counters as natural mood enhancers and sober alternatives to alcoholic beverages, state regulators have tracked severe adverse outcomes tied to the botanical stimulant. State public health officials registered 146 fatal incidents involving kratom throughout Arizona over a four-year window concluding in 2023.
The enforcement action asserts that Botanic Tonics aggressively courted young consumers across college campuses and convenience retail chains, distributing millions of bottles statewide since 2020 while failing to provide prominent warnings regarding physical withdrawal symptoms.
"We allege that Botanic Tonics has repeatedly and willfully violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and endangered the health and safety of Arizonans, including minors, by improperly marketing its kratom-containing beverage," Attorney General Mayes said in announcing the action.
