10/30/2026
🚨 THE TEXAS & REGIONAL LANDSCAPE CONTINUES TO CHANGE — CAT’S CLAW
During a Texas community scan this week, I found multiple products marketed as “cat’s claw,” sitting near or directly next to 7-OH products. I have been actively checking stores in the state of Texas and although I do find CAT’S CLAW this weeks scan was different. I found A LOT of this product.
I believe one of the reasons CAT’s CLAW was a bit slower to flood Texas was due to the fact that we are still selling 7 l-OH in large amounts Now we have BOTH in large amounts in Texas
The placement of these products matters. So do the packaging, colors, flavors, and label claims.
👀 LOOK CLOSELY AT THIS PACKAGE:
• Bold purple-and-white colors, oversized lettering, and claw-mark graphics.
• “Great Grape” flavor and a chewable tablet.
• A large “100 MG” callout and a prominently displayed $7.99 price.
• “Premium cat’s claw extract” alongside “CONTAINS NO KRATOM NO 7OH.”
• A small warning at the bottom stating purchasers must be 21.
The flavor, graphics, and large print draw attention. The botanical name and “NO KRATOM NO 7OH” claim can also shape what a shopper assumes about the product.
🌿 WHAT IS CAT’S CLAW?
Cat’s claw, commonly identified as Uncaria tomentosa, is a woody vine used in herbal supplements. It is a different plant from kratom. Natural cat’s claw is not 7-OH.
7-OH stands for 7-hydroxymitragynine, a compound that occurs naturally in trace amounts in kratom although most 7-OH is not natural. Concentrated 7-OH products have potent opioid effects and can carry serious health risks.
⚠️ SO WHAT IS THE CONNECTION?
The concern is what has been found INSIDE certain products marketed as “cat’s claw.”
Earlier this year Utah officials identified semi-synthetic kratom compounds, including mitragynine pseudoindoxyl and dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine, also called MGM-15, in products carrying cat’s claw labels. These are distinct compounds—not interchangeable names for 7-OH—but they connect these misleadingly labeled products to the broader kratom-derived opioid market.
🚨 UTAH’S RECENT WARNING
On October 5, 2026, Utah health officials issued an urgent warning following FOUR deaths linked to high-potency compounds found in certain products, including those marketed as “cat’s claw.” Officials warned of addiction, severe withdrawal, overdose, and death. Some implicated products claimed to be free of kratom.
That does not establish what is inside the package pictured here. Laboratory testing is needed to determine its contents. But it shows why a label claim alone cannot establish safety.
📍 WHAT I’M WATCHING IN TEXAS AND ACROSS THE REGION:
New botanical names. Bold packaging. Flavored tablets. “No kratom” and “no 7-OH” claims. Products sharing retail space with 7-OH.
These are details parents, educators, prevention professionals, and law enforcement need to recognize as the retail landscape changes.
Stay informed and keep sharing what you are seeing in your communities.
