Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is calling on convenience stores throughout the state, including those in Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia, to immediately remove dangerous kratom products from their shelves, warning that some of the substances are being marketed to children and teenagers.

Carr made the appeal during a meeting of the Georgia House of Representatives Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Youth Exposure to Kratom and Retail Available Substances, where he also urged lawmakers to consider legislation that would ban nearly all kratom-derived products in Georgia.

The attorney general expressed particular concern about products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as 7-OH, an opioid-like substance associated with addiction and other serious health risks.

According to information presented by Carr, 7-OH can be approximately 13 times more potent than morphine. Manufacturers are producing concentrated or synthesized forms of the substance and selling them in tablets, gummies, liquid shots and powders, often labeled as kratom.

These products are sold at some convenience stores, gas stations and smoke shops, making them readily accessible to consumers, including young people.

“It shouldn’t take legislation or law enforcement to do the right thing,” Carr said. “Every minute these products remain on our shelves, innocent lives are put at risk. This problem could be solved today if all of our convenience stores step up, remove this poison from their shelves, and put safety first.”

Carr is encouraging retailers to voluntarily remove the products immediately rather than wait for additional restrictions or enforcement actions.

He is also pushing for legislation that would prohibit kratom-derived products statewide, while allowing a narrow list of approved exceptions.

Kratom is derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain compounds that act on opioid receptors in the body. Although some products are marketed for energy, relaxation or pain relief, health authorities have raised concerns about dependence, withdrawal symptoms and potentially dangerous effects, particularly from concentrated products containing 7-OH.

The proposed legislation would represent a significant change in Georgia’s approach to regulating kratom products and could affect convenience stores, smoke shops and other retailers throughout the state.

For now, Carr is asking businesses to act voluntarily and remove the products from sale while lawmakers consider additional restrictions.