Arizona Sues Maker of 'Feel Free' Kratom Beverage Over Marketing and Safety Claims

Queen Creek, Arizona — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has initiated a statewide consumer protection lawsuit against manufacturer Botanic Tonics, LLC, contending that the business deceptively marketed its popular "Feel Free" botanical tonic while concealing substantial risks of physical dependency and severe withdrawal symptoms.

According to the civil complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, Botanic Tonics promoted the two-ounce bottled beverages as wholesome wellness shots, energy enhancers, and safe substitutes for alcoholic beverages across gas stations, convenience shops, and internet storefronts. State regulators maintain that the manufacturer obscured the product's primary psychoactive component, kratom—a plant derivative known to produce opioid-mimicking impacts—while public health records compiled by the Arizona Department of Health Services documented 146 kratom-involved fatalities statewide between 2020 and 2023.

"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," said Attorney General Kris Mayes. "Arizonans should be aware that behind feel free's appealing marketing, there is real danger of addiction and other mental and physical harm."

The enforcement filing details promotional campaigns directed toward young adults, including promotional initiatives operating across college campuses, coupled with recurring subscription discounts and customer reward tiers that prompted escalating consumption. State authorities are pursuing formal court injunctions to halt the contested sales practices alongside statutory financial penalties under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.

In Queen Creek, a municipality of roughly 76,000 residents situated across Maricopa and Pinal counties, local municipal leaders and community health advocates monitor regional commerce regulations affecting convenience retail corridors along Rittenhouse and Ellsworth roads, where state-level product oversight directly governs over-the-counter shelf inventory and consumer disclosures.

Sources: Arizona Attorney General's Office announcement (September 2026): https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-sues-kratom-maker-botanic-tonics-first-nation-consumer