DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office is now the latest county to add Kratom to its autopsy reports.
The controversial substance is sold at gas stations and smoke shops across metro Atlanta in pill and powder form.
“When you concentrate, or otherwise adulterate that substance, that’s when it becomes dangerous,” said Beoncia Loveless. “The effects switch from a stimulant substance to a more opioid-like substance, and that becomes much more dangerous because it can suppress your nervous system and your breathing.”
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Loveless is the Director of the Dekalb County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Her team is the latest to secure enough money to start testing for Kratom chemicals in all cases.
“We were lucky enough, this year, to secure opioid settlement funding to help cover the cost of our toxicology analysis,” said Loveless.
That settlement money comes from lawsuits in which states like Georgia sued pharmaceutical companies.
Loveless said before the funding, DeKalb County would screen for Kratom chemicals, like mitragynine, on a case-by-case basis.
She said it showed up six times in 2025. It was considered a contributing factor in two of those deaths.
She said it has shown up in one autopsy this year, and it was considered a contributing factor in that death.
“I, personally, think it’s very dangerous for a number of reasons. It is completely unregulated,” said Loveless. “You have no idea what is in the pills you’re taking. It may not be Kratom at all, or it may be mixed with other substances.”
Channel 2 Action News reached out to each county in our viewing area.
The Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office said it has been testing for mitragynine since 2017. It’s shown up in 75 cases since then.
Most counties, like Gwinnett County, said they test for mitragynine on a case-by-case basis.
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducts autopsies for most of the counties in the state. GBI said its lab is capable of testing for Mitragynine and does test for it in some cases. It does not have the ability to test for other chemicals sold legally in gas stations like 7-OH.
Each agency expressed interest in collecting all that data.
“Certainly, the data we supply would be useful,” said Loveless.
She said it could be used to strengthen regulations, warn the public or hold manufacturers accountable when people overdose.
“As these novel substances start to appear in the population, we’re going to start seeing that tickle-down effect in our caseload, and, hopefully, we can catch it early and we can do public health messaging and talk to our communities about the dangers of it,” said Loveless.
This Summer, a committee of lawmakers will gather at the Georgia State Capitol building to study Kraton, youth exposure and retail availability of the substance to evaluate its impact and reduce access.
A group of lawmakers tried to outlaw Kratom four years ago, but the proposal failed.
Two years later, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that regulate the sale of Kratom. It cannot be sold to anyone under 21, and it must be located behind the counter that is only accessible to store employees.
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