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Botanic Tonics class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Romulo Torres filed a class action lawsuit against Botanic Tonics LLC and 7-Eleven Inc.
- Why: Botanic Tonics allegedly misrepresents its Feel Free Wellness Tonic as non-addictive, failing to disclose that one of its ingredients is potentially highly addictive.
- Where: The Botanic Tonics class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
Botanic Tonics advertises its “Feel Free Wellness Tonic” as a safe and healthy alternative to alcohol, but fails to disclose that one of its ingredients is potentially highly addictive, a class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Romulo Torres says he chose to purchase Botanic Tonics Feel Free based on representations that the tonic is a kava drink and that the beverage is no more habit forming than sugar or caffeine.
However, Torres says the primary ingredient in Botanic Tonics Feel Free is kratom, not kava.
“Kratom is an opioid that carries similar risks of addiction as controlled narcotics,” according to the Botanic Tonics class action lawsuit.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration have both reportedly warned that kratom can lead to addiction and can pose adverse side effects.
The Botanic Tonics class action notes that kratom is associated with a number of side effects, ranging from nausea, sweating, and constipation to more severe side effects such as high blood pressure, liver failure, hallucinations, psychosis, cardiac arrest, and coma.
“Unbeknownst to consumers, Botanic Tonics not only added kratom in large amounts, but also manipulated the formula of Feel Free to magnify the effects of kratom and induce a quicker, longer-lasting, and greater high,” the Botanic Tonics class action lawsuit states.
Botanic Tonics allegedly failed to disclose the amount or concentration of kratom in the Feel Free tonics, potentially putting consumers at risk of significant side effects.
Plaintiff says he developed Botanic Tonics Feel Free addiction and relapsed to cope with withdrawal symptoms
Torres says he has suffered from alcoholism and is now sober. In 2020, he says he began seeing targeted Botanic Tonics Feel Free advertisements on social media, advertising the product as a safe and healthy alternative to alcohol.
He purchased Botanic Tonics Feel Free from a 7-11 store and allegedly developed a strong addiction to the product within three months. He was allegedly spending about $3,000 per month on the product and experienced withdrawal when he tried to stop using the tonic. He says he relapsed to cope with the worsening withdrawal symptoms.
“Feel Free has caused [Torres] to lose his job, had severe impacts on his family life, and has undermined his decades of work in recovery,” the Botanic Tonics class action lawsuit asserts.
Torres filed the Botanic Tonics class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a proposed class of others who purchased Botanic Tonics Feel Free in California since March 28, 2019.
Last fall, a federal judge dismissed some claims from a class action lawsuit against 7-Eleven that claimed the company falsely advertised some of its products as recyclable.
Have you purchased Botanic Tonics Feel Free products? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
Torres is represented by Robert S. Arns, Jonathan E. Davis, Shounak S. Dharap, and Katherine A. Rabago of Arns Davis Law and Anthony L. Label, Theo Emison, Steven A. Kronenberg, and Jacqueline K. Oh. of The Veen Firm PC.
The Botanic Tonics Feel Free class action lawsuit is Romulo Torres v. Botanic Tonics LLC, et al., Case No. 3:23-cv-01460, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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131 thoughts onBotanic Tonics class action claims Feel Free drink falsely advertised as non-addictive
The author needs to do better research on Kratom! Why not contact the American Kratom Assoc. There you can find the science behind Kratom and again Kratom is NOT a opioid as the author says it but works on the same receptors in the brain as opioids do. Been taking for 8+ yrs and never purchased that much in a year!
Kratom is severely addictive. I’ve known numerous people who’ve been to rehab for an addiction to the substance. And Suboxone or Subutex don’t even work to relieve the withdrawal feeling from Kratom
Kratom is severely addictive. I’ve known numerous people who’ve been to rehab for an addiction to the substance. And Suboxone or Subutex don’t even work to relieve the withdrawal feeling from Kratom
Kratom is severely addictive and is a big problem. I’ve known numerous people who’ve been to rehab for an addiction to the substance. And Suboxone or Subutex don’t even work to relieve the withdrawal feeling from Kratom
Dummy! 3 times…?
Add me
Plz add me too
The ingredients are no secret, kratom is a much safer pain reliever than pharmaceuticals it’s part of the coffee family, which coffee is also addictive if you’re an addict. So why not sue Folgers? Grow up and take responsibility for your own actions, jeez! $3,000 a month?? wasn’t that a clue?
Ridiculous!
add me
I never made the connection I experienced the same thing I had withdrawal like I was withdrawing
from opiates. I also relapsed and it caused me a year and a have of sobriety I just got out of detox after 23 days and am now in a sober living. So yes please add me I would never have made the connection thank you top class actions !!!!!!!!!
Congratulations on getting sober again. One day at a time!
Do I qualify?
Did you buy abs get addicted to the drink? You’d have to contact the attorney with the case. It says it right in the article.
Please add me
Please add me
Add me please