Death on Flight Is a Tragic Reminder of the Harms of Kratom
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner says 7-OH and mitragynine killed a 22-year-old passenger on a Southwest flight in August.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has ruled kratom the cause of death of a 22-year-old who died on a flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. This kratom death is a tragic reminder of the harms of kratom. It also shows the need for federal action to ban this opioid-like substance.
Rain McMillen Walmsley graduated from Hunter College in May with a degree in journalism. On August 7th, he boarded a Southwest flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. NBC4 reported on August 9th, “CPR was administered to the man during the flight and paramedics responded to the plane upon its arrival in Los Angeles.” Firefighters pronounced him dead at the scene.
At first, no one knew what killed him. His mother told a local news outlet that he likely had a seizure before he lost consciousness.
What Caused the Kratom Death
On November 6th, People reported the medical examiner’s finding: he died from the “combined effects of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and mitragynine.” The medical examiner listed the manner of death as an accident.
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Both substances come from kratom, an unregulated opioid-like substance sold nationwide in gas stations and convenience stores. One of the best-known kratom products is Feel Free, a drink sold by Botanic Tonics.
Not an Isolated Kratom Death
Walmsley’s death was not an isolated incident. Investigators tied kratom products to the deaths of two students at the University of Mississippi in September. Court filings cite toxicology results showing mitragynine and two Schedule I kratom compounds, MGM-15 and MGPI, in both students. In Georgia, the poison center has counted four deaths tied to kratom so far this year.
A CDC study counted 233 kratom-associated deaths reported to the National Poison Data System from 2015 to 2025. Medical examiners also detected kratom in 995 overdose deaths in 2024, according to the CDC’s SUDORS dashboard. That dashboard draws on data from 43 jurisdictions. From 2020 to 2024, that total reached at least 5,208 deaths.
Calls for a Federal Kratom Ban
Federal regulators have recently moved in the other direction. In October, the Justice Department loosened its 7-OH ban, less than three weeks after the Ole Miss deaths.
The Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions wants to prevent needless deaths from kratom and its derivatives. It has called for classifying the whole kratom leaf, not specific molecules in it, as a Schedule I substance. That step would effectively ban its sale nationwide.
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