Officials in Lafayette County are calling on state lawmakers to quickly address “dangerous synthetic substances” being sold in local retailers in the wake of the deaths of two Ole Miss students.
In a Wednesday press release, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit urged the Mississippi Legislature to take swift action regarding certain substances being sold in gas stations and convenience stores. The demand follows the deaths of 20-year-old Robert Strang and 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton. The two Ole Miss students were discovered deceased on Sept. 21. Officials said kratom-like products were at both death sites.
Authorities said they found “Smax Pseudo-DHM,” a chewable, concentrated tablet sold as a synthetic kratom product, where both students passed. While the tablets have not been determined to have killed Strang and Hamilton, law enforcement argues that they are dangerous and put Mississippians at risk.
“We are calling on the Mississippi Legislature to address synthetic kratom-related products with the urgency this public safety issue demands,” the release said. “We need immediate legislative hearings, a thorough examination of the state’s controlled substance laws, and clear answers about how manufacturers, distributors, and retailers can be held accountable when their actions put lives at risk.”
The federal government has already taken action to protect the public from some of the ingredients in the illicit products being sold at retailers. In August, the FDA placed three synthetic opioid compounds into Schedule I classification. A Schedule I substance is a drug or chemical that has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in treatment in the U.S. Federal law deems these substances illegal for ordinary use, possession, or prescription.
Specifically, officials classified Mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 as Schedule I substances. Smax Pseudo-DHM notably contains kratom-related compounds like MGM-15 and derivatives like pseudoindoxyl.
In response to this, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit said the ball is in the state legislature’s court if lawmakers want to give police the proper enforcement and tools necessary to address these substances effectively.
On Sept. 25, two of the employees at Puff’s Vape Tobacco & Beer in Oxford — 51-year-old Yahya Mosleh and 18-year-old Islam Mohamed — were arrested and charged with possession of Schedule I controlled substances with intent to distribute. Law enforcement also recovered 500 units of kratom, along with an assortment of THC cartridges, gummies, and other suspected narcotics from the retailer.
This was all done in the aftermath of the Ole Miss students’ deaths. Police used an undercover informant to make a controlled purchase at Puff’s Vape Tobacco & Beer, and after that, obtained a search warrant that ultimately yielded the arrests and recovery of the products.
This process, however, is time-consuming, and not every law enforcement agency in Mississippi has the resources to utilize informants the way those in Lafayette County did, officials said. Because of this, they are asking the legislature to consider creating enforceable laws that remove some red tape that police have to circumnavigate when attempting to prosecute those selling illegal substances.
Gov. Tate Reeves has not indicated that he is planning to call a special session on the matter and has consistently stated that he avoids reconvening the legislature outside the regularly scheduled session window unless necessary to save taxpayers money. The deaths of college students and the prospect of the public being at risk due to certain products being sold at convenience stores could cause the governor to act.
“Families deserve answers. Communities deserve protection. Law enforcement deserves clear, enforceable laws that keep pace with emerging drug threats,” the release continued. “We are prepared to bring our firsthand experience and recommendations directly to legislative leaders. This issue demands their immediate attention, a transparent examination of the evidence, and concrete decisions about the next steps.”
As for the deaths of Strang and Hamilton, a toxicology report and autopsy are expected to give investigators a better look at what claimed the two lives. No official cause of death has been determined at this time, and police encourage the public to refrain from speculating until more information is made available.