Two Ole Miss students died after buying synthetic kratom from vape stores whose clerks now face federal drug charges

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026.

Two University of Mississippi students died after buying synthetic kratom from vape stores, and the clerks who made those sales now face federal drug charges. Court documents link the transactions directly to the students' fatal use of the substance. Authorities have issued a warning about synthetic kratom in the wake of the deaths.

Federal investigators followed the trail of the deadly purchases back to specific vape store sales, resulting in criminal charges against the clerks.