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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
Perhaps you didn’t read the effects it has had on people? It is very much an Opioid and many articles prove it -Look up Mytragynine and effects of Kratom to start
It didn’t have the ingredients on the bottle before. Now it’s there but still isn’t completely forthcoming. It says kava and other ancient herbs. We understand it’s a plant based item but also states it’s an alcohol alternative. Most people unknowingly tried and got addicted. It’s obvious an issue if you read everything. I’m in massive debt and took 3 weeks to detox. I still have cravings on week 4. It’s awful, body aches, rashes and dry skin. constipation, body twitches, severe withdrawals and insomnia coming off which I still have.
It’s not ok. It’s highly addictive!!!
This company needs to go down !
Hi-I can’t thank you enough for the info and sharing your experiences. My son started drinking Feel Free after we saw on their website they were sponsored by NCAA D1 colleges , and thought it was a safe alternative to drinking as an athlete. He is going through hell -after trying to quit 2x previously he is again going through withdrawals and the flu like symptoms as well as cravings. The company dismissed my concerns and actually emailed me back to indicate “anything is addictive”-I would like to join the Class Action lawsuit in the hopes it is taken off the shelves!
I’ve posted already but wanted to update you all on going off of feel free. The detox is awful! Nothing I experienced even when I got sober 26 years ago. I spend over 30k on this stuff and it’s not to be taken lightly. The pain and suffering that we’ve all endured is beyond comprehension. I truly believe this product needs to be removed from shelves immediately. To get off of it at first, I started stem and vein which is a kratom detox. I had a ton of energy, and I felt amazing which I thought was very unusual. After that, I got suicidal, I had vertigo, I was diagnosed with cataracts in my eyes from dehydration, which I did not have one year ago., I’m having severe bodyaches like I have the flu (negative Covid test), I also have insomnia. I am unable to go to work, and I worry about having to take care of my kids this next week. The mental, emotional, and physical detox is the worst thing. If possible, I recommend a detox facility. Especially to watch for the suicide emotions and triggers or potential relapse, which trust me, I think about. . I understand that some people don’t get it and how we got here, but they obviously do not deal with addiction issues. This was sold to us as an alcohol alternative. Most people who want to drink alcohol alternative drinks are addicts. Also that it was sold as giving energy, it actually sedates people who tend to have these issues of addiction. I’ve never experienced anything like this. My skin is actually still peeling. but just like in recovery. I’m taking it one day at a time. My thoughts are irrational most days, but I am aware that it is probably part of the detox.
Good luck to everybody on trying to get through this. I really wish we had a place to talk about it because I feel connected to every story and I’m really appreciative that people are telling what does happen to them. Thank you so much and good luck, everybody!
I would love to connect with you and asks few questions as I’m a partner of someone I think is struggling with this.
Looking forward to talking soon. Thank you for sharing.
I am currently trying to stop drinking “feel free.” It is highly addictive.i drink 6-8 bottles a day .if I don’t drink it,I don’t sleep.i become physically uncomfortable. I noticed withdraw symptoms starting 3-4 hours after drinking it.i wish I would have never tried the stuff.
In January 2022 my husband and I decided to quit drinking alcohol and get healthier. I was going to an infrared sauna studio when I first came across these Feel Free tonic drinks. They were advertised as healthy and would give you a euphoric feeling. After having one I decided to buy two more to take home to share with my husband. After this, we were hooked. It turned into 1-2 a day to 3-5 a day and we found ourselves spending an ungodly amount of money and started noticing that our tolerance just kept going up. I had lost 15lbs. and was starting to get sick from them either with vomiting or diarrhea. My husband also lost weight and was having terrible stomach problems. After about six months we realized that we needed to get off of these devil tonics. We both had to wean ourselves off and luckily were able to do it on our own without a prescription or worse, rehab. We then relapsed at the beginning of this year and had different side effects. I was experiencing headaches if I hadn’t had one and my husband started having bad skin rashes, which I assume this was from inflammation. I also noticed back pain where my kidneys are and was so scared that I quit drinking them. My husband unfortunately was too addicted and not able to get off of them for the next 3 months. He became so reliant on them that he would wake up in the morning to run to the gas station to get one before he had to work. By the end of the day he was drinking 5-6, which is well above the company’s recommended amount. Finally he got to the point where he had to leave town and go stay somewhere that did not sell Feel Frees to escape the easy access we had to them. He was not able to work and had an opiate like come down when he was detoxing from these horrible little substances. I do not know what is actually in these tonics besides kava and kratom but they are by far the most addictive substance we have ever had. Even worse, is the way they are advertised being called “healthy” and a “good substitute for alcohol.” These need to be taken off of the market ASAP and never allowed to be sold again! They have obviously ruined lots of people’s lives that have also posted here, so hopefully our voices are heard and something will be done.
My sister started using feel free after being addicted to pills. Was a
“ safe “ alternative. She is, as of Tuesday, detoxing in a rehab facility. She is very addicted to feel free. She is a mess, they expect her to be there for three weeks or more.
Should not be selling as an
“energy “ drink. This stuff has all but destroyed her😞
Please add me to the suit. Feel Free has been marketed as a safe alternative to alcohol and I have grown helplessly addicted.
My wife and I started drinking this stuff about 2 years ago. At that time, there wasn’t a warning to drink no more than 2 bottles per day. In fact, I have an email conversation with someone from BT stating that there isn’t a problem when I asked about my wife drinking 4-6 bottles per day.
We are both addicted and tried quitting but the withdrawal symptoms are too intense. We spend about $3500 a month on this stuff.
If they had disclosed the Kratom ingredient and that it was highly addictive, I would have never bought it. I am a recovering addict from opioids and would not have put my 10 year sobriety in jeopardy.
I realize the consumer should do due diligence, but at that time, Kratom ingredient amount was not disclosed. This stuff has taken control of our lives and finances.
I became highly addicted to this substance after buying it labeled as Kava. I am now in a substance use program and it ruined my life.
I need help! Feel free has taken over my life I have drained my entire savings of 10000 dollars now I’m Dept I also bought it at 7/11 how can I be part of the class action lawsuit?
Kratom is not an opioid, it’s the sister plant to caffeine. This article is full of shit.