The Alcoholic Beverage Control Division (ABC), an agency within the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR), seized 1,006 OPMS liquid kratom extract products from 12 businesses that ABC claims contain 15.7% to 16.1% ethanol.
Ethanol (the type of alcohol also found in alcoholic beverages) is used to extract alkaloids from kratom leaf to produce highly concentrated extracts. A small amount of alcohol remains in the final product, not typically at levels that would violate alcohol laws. Kansas, however, has very strict alcohol laws. Even vendors selling candy with over 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) require a license. The OPMS shots, if the results from the ABC lab are correct, exceed the ABV allowable even in wine or microbrewery beer.
The timing of the bust appears political, as a bill (SB497) that would make kratom a Schedule I substance just passed the Kansas Senate. Kratom is currently legal and unregulated in Kansas. A Kratom Consumer Protection Act was introduced in 2025 in Kansas, but failed to advance through the legislature. The bill would have regulated kratom products and made them illegal to sell to consumers under the age of 21 had it become law. A Schedule I designation limits the availability of kratom to illicit markets that have little incentive to provide safe products or limit the amount of ethanol in extracts.
The investigation began in September 2025, and the 12 stores across Kansas were raided on March 11. OPMS shots are typically sold in 8.8 ml bottles. At 16.1% alcohol by volume, this amounts to approximately 1.42 ml of ethanol. Not enough to get a baby drunk. Disclaimer: Babies should not consume any amount of kratom or alcohol.
“Sales of unlawful alcoholic beverages by unlicensed businesses pose a clear risk to consumers and undermine the integrity of Kansas’ regulated marketplace,” said ABC Director Debbi Beavers. “This operation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to safeguarding the public and ensuring that all businesses follow state law.”