SALT LAKE CITY — An Oklahoma-based kratom manufacturer is suing over Utah’s new law limiting sales of the compound, saying it could cost the company more than $10 million when it takes effect next month.

Botanic Tonics LLC manufacturers, distributes and sells a dietary supplement made of kratom and noble kava root known as “feel free,” according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on March 31. The company said SB45, which lawmakers passed in the recent legislative session, would prohibit it and three other companies from selling products at more than 300 retail locations statewide.

“Immediate projected losses to plaintiffs due to the statute’s ban on combination kratom dietary supplements exceed $10,704,428,” the complaints states. “To comply with the statute, plaintiffs have notified their direct to store distributors that all kratom leaf products combined with any other ingredient must be removed from store shelves and not made available for sale as of May 6, 2026, unless action is taken by this court to enjoin implementation of the statute.”

It went on to say that the law “denies access to such products for which there is clinical trial data establishing that they do not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury.”

The lawsuit was filed against Utah Attorney General Derek Brown and several state officials: Kelly Pherson, commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food; Amber Brown, deputy commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food; and Bradon Forsyth, director of the Utah Specialized Product Division.

Botanic Tonics filed the suit in conjunction with the Kratom Coalition Inc., asking a judge to declare Utah’s limits on kratom sales unconstitutional and block the state from enforcing it through a preliminary injunction. The company sued Utah’s Department of Agriculture and Food in a separate state court last year, but that complaint was eventually dismissed.

Kratom comes from a tropical tree and is used by some people for pain management. Kratom products have been sold in retail shops and include powders, gummies, teas and energy drinks.

The substance has been called “gas station heroin” because it can act on the same receptors in the brain that opioids do. Synthetic products derived from kratom can lead to overdose.

SB45 takes effect May 6 and will only allow for the sale of pure leaf kratom in Utah, and only in smoke shops and similar stores. It also gives manufacturers one year to stop producing anything other than pure kratom leaf in the state.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said the law was meant to protect Utahns from the product. He said based on an informal poll he took of gas station clerks, “feel free” is one of the most popular kratom products sold in Utah, and called the product “extremely potent, extremely addictive.”

“I’m not worried about it being struck down,” he said of the law. “And the lawsuit doesn’t surprise me. This company has been very aggressive. They’ve sued the state in the past. Ultimately that case was dismissed, but I am confident in our case.”

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and ANDREW DALTON

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah judge is set to hear arguments Tuesday on a protective order sought by a former partner against Taylor Frankie Paul, the star of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and a recently filmed season of “The Bachelorette” that was canceled over abuse allegations in the relationship.

GUNNISON, Utah — As drought conditions across the state worsen, with many in central Utah already feeling the impact, state leaders are preparing to offer relief to farmers. The Utah Department of Agriculture claims help is on the way for what’s expected to be one of the toughest growing seasons in years.

Longtime central Utah farmer Allen Dyreng says this year stands out.

“I’ve seen years close to this, but not this bad. This is the worst year,” Dyreng said.

Dyreng pointed to dramatically low reservoir levels in Gunnison, where water supplies are far below normal.

“Right now, our reservoirs are at 7% of capacity. We have 1,800 acre-feet of water in storage, and we usually have 23,000,” he said. “They’ll likely be emptied by the first of June.”

The situation marks a sharp contrast from just a few years ago.

In 2021, the Gunnison Reservoir ran completely dry. By 2023, improved runoff briefly brought some relief, with water levels partially recovering. But now, conditions have reversed again.

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Dyreng is now retired but was president of Gunnison Irrigation Company for about 20 years and farmed land for nearly five decades that had been in his family for generations. He said the lack of water will significantly reduce how much land farmers can use this season.

“We normally are able to grow crops on 14,000 acres,” Dyrent explained. “We would be lucky this year to have crops on 5,000 acres.”

The state is working to prevent long-term damage to Utah’s agricultural industry.

“Water is their lifeblood,” said Kelly Pehrson, commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture. “We don’t want to lose farms in Utah.”

Utah is expecting an emergency disaster declaration that would open the door to low-interest loans and additional support programs, including grazing improvement and water optimization grants.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to bring hope back to them,” Pehrson said. “This is going to be a tough year. No doubt about it.”

Drought conditions continue to intensify across the region. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Utah is now experiencing extreme to exceptional drought, with conditions worsening in just the past week.

For farmers, the impact goes far beyond inconvenience.

“I think this year we will deliver the least amount of water on record,” Dyreng said. “It cuts pretty deep into every aspect of the economy down here.”

State leaders say they plan to meet directly with farmers in communities across Utah later this month to better understand the needs and connect them with available resources.

More information can be found at ag.utah.gov.