How Kratom Industry Found Powerful Allies in Trump’s Cabinet
A sprawling influence campaign by the kratom industry has secured powerful allies in the Trump administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to an investigation by The New York Times. The case raises serious questions about conflicts of interest and whether campaign donations are shaping federal drug policy at the expense of public health.
The Conflict at the Heart of the Administration
Mullin, who served as a Republican senator from Oklahoma before becoming Homeland Security Secretary, disclosed an investment worth up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics — the maker of the kratom-based drink “Feel Free” — according to a separate report by The Daily Beast. While still a senator in July 2025, Mullin appeared at an FDA news conference to endorse proposed federal restrictions on synthetic 7-OH products that compete with natural kratom. He has not filed paperwork indicating divestment from Botanic Tonics.
The Homeland Security Department said in a statement that Mullin “follows all ethics and conflict of interest standards and has not lobbied for any individual or company.”
A Convicted Felon’s Second Act
Botanic Tonics was founded by Jerry W. Ross — formerly Jerry D. Cash — who pleaded guilty in 2010 to concealing the diversion of $10 million from oil and gas companies he ran. He served less than three years of a nine-year federal prison sentence before being released in 2013, as Wired reported. Ross created Botanic Tonics in 2020, and the company’s Feel Free drink is now sold at more than 24,000 retailers across the country.
The Influence Machine
The kratom industry’s campaign to shape federal policy was multifaceted and well-funded. Ross donated nearly $162,000 to Kennedy’s defunct presidential campaign in the weeks around Trump’s inauguration. Botanic Tonics later donated $500,000 to MAHA PAC — the political action committee aligned with Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda — in March 2026, followed by an additional $1 million. That $1.5 million accounted for approximately 44% of all funds raised by MAHA PAC between early 2025 and April 2026.
In February 2026, Ross donated $443,000 to the Republican National Committee in connection with a fundraising dinner headlined by Vice President JD Vance. Before the dinner, Ross secured a private meeting with Vance to lobby for kratom-friendly policies and urge a crackdown on synthetic competitors.
The DOJ Reversal
Federal agents seized 250,000 bottles of Feel Free from Botanic Tonics’ facility in April 2023, and the Justice Department filed a lawsuit accusing the company of illegally selling unapproved substances. In December 2025, a federal judge denied the company’s motion to dismiss the case. Just twelve days later, the DOJ abruptly dropped the case, citing expired products and stating it “would not be a prudent use of government resources.”
Kennedy’s Intervention
Health Secretary Kennedy personally called Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in the fall of 2025 to urge him to crack down only on synthetic 7-OH products rather than all kratom products, according to the Times investigation. DeWine initially dropped a broader kratom ban before later moving forward with it. The FDA also removed links from its kratom webpage that detailed enforcement actions against Ross’s company after pressure from Mullin and industry allies, though a warning about kratom’s risks remained.
The Public Health Toll
From 2020 through 2024, kratom was found in the system of more than 5,200 people who died of drug overdoses, according to CDC data. One study found that kratom users carried a sixfold increase in the risk of overdose death. Patti Wheeler, whose son Wyatt died from a kratom overdose in 2022, told the Times: “My son would be alive” if the federal government had acted sooner.
A Coin-Operated Drug Policy?
Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy official who served under multiple administrations, described the situation bluntly: “It’s looking like we have a coin-operated drug policy that basically responds to whoever will give money. And it threatens public health and safety because it’s going around the scientific process in favor of donors and influencers.”
White House spokesperson Kush Desai pushed back, stating: “The only guiding factor behind the Trump administration’s healthcare policymaking is gold standard science.”
What’s Next
It remains unclear whether the administration will approve the emergency ban on 7-OH that Ross and his allies have sought. During a May 2026 Oval Office briefing, President Trump said: “We’re looking very seriously at natural 7-OH and getting that approved. A lot of people are asking for it.” The comment left observers uncertain whether he was referring to natural kratom or synthetic 7-OH — but it confirmed the issue has reached the highest levels of government.
As the kratom industry continues to flex its political muscle, critics warn that the line between public health and private profit has become dangerously blurred in the Trump administration.