SEVERANCE, Colo. (KOAA) — A Colorado mother is raising awareness about the dangers of kratom, a legal product that can have opioid-like effects, after losing her 19-year-old son to kratom toxicity.
Masen Campbell played football for Severance High School in northern Colorado and was preparing to continue his athletic career at Feather River College in California. His mother, Ashley Campbell, remembers him as a loving son and a great big brother.
News5 reporter Meghan Glova has this mother's warning in the video below:
Masen died on May 31st. Before his death, Campbell says her son was given kratom by a friend.
“He was snoring really really weird," Campbell said. "I hate myself for not trying to wake him up or anything, but I thought, he’s just sleeping.”
Hours later, Masen's family tried to wake him. Campbell says Masen's sister performed CPR on him and that he did not respond to Narcan.
“I went down there and he had bubbles coming out of nose and his lips were a little purple," Campbell said. "His body was cold and he wasn’t breathing.”
Campbell says an autopsy later revealed kratom-toxicity as Masen's cause of death and that the combination of kratom and alcohol killed her son.
According to El Paso County Coroner and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Emily Russell-Kinsley, kratom is a product that is derived from the leaves of a plant from Southeast Asia.
"It's got a lot of alkaloids or compounds in it," Dr. Russell-Kinsley said. "The most prevalent one is called mitragynine.”
Dr. Russell-Kinsley says 41 deaths were associated with kratom or mitragynine products in Colorado in 2025. She explains, at a higher dose, the chemical mitragynine has an opioid-like effect. The risk of overdose with pure kratom or mitragynine is low. However, products with additional alkaloids, like 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), can be more dangerous.
“That’s actually much stronger than morphine," Dr. Russell-Kinsley said. "That 7-hydroxy, it’s being manufactured and it’s present in higher amounts than you would see naturally.”
Masen's autopsy revealed that he had 7-OH in his system.
“When you read about the populations that this drug is impacting, it’s predominantly younger white males," Dr. Russell-Kinsley said. "It's folks who are struggling with opioid dependence or issues with pain, issues with anxiety."
Last month, two University of Mississippi students, including one from Colorado, were found dead in separate locations. Police found kratom at both scenes, but it is still unclear if kratom played a part in their deaths.
In Oxford, the possession, distribution, and sale of kratom is prohibited. In Colorado, it is legal, but heavily regulated.
A 2025 Colorado law has increased kratom regulation in Colorado. It prohibits the story or display of kratom products that would allow it to be accessed by individuals under 21-years-old. It also prohibits selling a kratom product that mimics candy or appeals to children.
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“They produce a product that is difficult to divide into, what they say, is the appropriate dose in a package," Dr. Russell-Kinsley said.
Campbell says, according to Masen's friend, the kratom given to her son was in a pink pill.
"It came in 40 milligrams and you were only supposed to take 10," Campbell said. "He gave him half of it.”
Campbell is now warning others about kratom and its risks on social media, including a TikTok video that reached more than a million viewers.
“I was legitimately just to save anybody I possibly could," Campbell said. "I would give anything to have known this and could’ve saved my son. Anything.”
Campbell also shared her family's story with Representative Lauren Boebert's team, hoping even further kratom regulations could be possible in Colorado. News5 is waiting for a response on whether this is something Rep. Boebert will pursue.
“No parent thinks that this is going to be something that they face, but it’s happening everywhere," Campbell said. "All over, not just Colorado.”
For individuals struggling with an emotional, mental health, or substance use concern, Dr. Russell-Kinsley recommends the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line. Call or text 988 for free, immediate, and confidental support 24/7.
Email Senior Reporter Meghan Glova at meghan.glova@koaa.com.
Follow Meghan Glova KOAA on Facebook.
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