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The Kansas City Star covered a story on Steven Ray, who wrestled for Herb Abrams' version of the UWF in the 1990s as Wild Thing Stevie Ray.
Ray, now 59, claims that he became dependent on “Advanced Alkaloids” pills he bought at CBD American Shaman stores in the Kansas City area and has legally pursued a case against them in civil court.
In the story, Ray claimed he was seeking a “natural” pain reliever for chronic shoulder injuries and disclosed his prior history of prescription opioid use, but claims store employees still recommended the product and did not warn him it could be addictive or opioid-like. Ray used for them around a year, and claimed he experienced worsening health effects, and then suffered atrial fibrillation when he tried to stop, ending up in the emergency room. He also alleges doctors were uncertain how to treat him because the substance involved was not widely recognized. The story ties Ray’s experience to 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), described as a concentrated kratom compound that has attracted increasing concern from regulators and medical experts. Ray says he later learned Advanced Alkaloids contained 7-OH.
In September, Ray and another plaintiff filed a federal lawsuit accusing CBD American Shaman and related entities of misleading customers about the risks of these 7-OH products and sought class-action status for purchasers nationwide, alleging racketeering, deceptive advertising, and consumer protection violations.
That lawsuit was dismissed last month without prejudice, meaning it can be refiled. Ray claimed in the piecce that the dismissal was procedural, attributing it to a conflict involving legal representation rather than any ruling on the merits, and that he intends to pursue the case again with new counsel.
Hudnall also reports that American Shaman’s owner and affiliated companies face multiple investigations tied to the sale and production of 7-OH products. The article noted that in November, federal agents working with the FDA and the Justice Department seized thousands of units of 7-OH products worth about $1 million from Kansas City-area warehouses.
Ray describes the financial and personal toll of his alleged dependence, saying he spent as much as $1,000 per month at the peak and that store guidance amounted to just advising to limit use to every other day.
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