Oxford, Miss. – Two University of Mississippi students were found dead on Sept. 21 after allegedly using a synthetic kratom product that the Drug Enforcement Administration placed in Schedule I on Aug. 26. The tablets, labeled as Smax Pseudo‑DHM and bearing the brand name Modus, list pseudoindoxyl and MGM‑15 (DHM) among their ingredients.
Investigators’ findings
Medical examiners noted that 18‑year‑old Aidan Hamilton may have died from pulmonary edema, a condition consistent with drug overdose. 20‑year‑old Robert Strang was discovered “cold to the touch” at his residence near campus. Toxicology results are still pending, but court documents indicate the substances in question are now illegal under federal law.
Legal context
The DEA’s temporary scheduling of mitragynine pseudoindoxyl as a Schedule I drug bars its sale and distribution. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained that selling any product containing MGM‑15 after its rescheduling is unlawful, though prosecution requires proof of intent.
Rahmani warned that both civil and criminal liability could attach to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of the illegal substance, emphasizing that “anyone who puts out a dangerous product can be held responsible.”
Local business connections
Police allege the synthetic kratom tablets found near Strang were purchased at a gas station about 30 minutes from Oxford. The station’s owner told Fox News Digital that the specific package did not come from his store, though he confirmed the product had been sold there. Federal agents later seized the station’s entire kratom inventory.
Separately, two employees of Puffs Vape, Tobacco and Beer Store in Oxford were arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute after Hamilton made multiple purchases there. Authorities say there is no established link between those arrests and Hamilton’s death.
Company response
Modus, the company whose name appears on the packaging, has not responded to requests for comment. Its website currently does not list the Smax Pseudo tablets, and the company claims the product is a “next‑generation approach to botanical supplements.”
Law enforcement continues to investigate the deaths, and pending toxicology results will help determine the exact cause and any further legal actions.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
