The San Diego City Attorney’s Office has filed a civil lawsuit against the owner of 11 smoke shops, alleging he illegally sold kratom, a psychoactive substance linked to hundreds of deaths nationwide, and dozens here in San Diego.
In a newly filed enforcement action, obtained by Times of San Diego, City Attorney Heather Ferbert’s Office hopes to stop kratom sales at the 11 smoke shops owned by a businessman named Wadeea Wadeea.
In recent years, kratom’s popularity has grown in San Diego and beyond. Kratom products are marketed as being derived from leaves of the kratom tree, a plant native to Southeast Asia. Some products have opioid-like effects, according to health officials.
More and more smoke shops and even some convenience stores are selling kratom extracts, which are often marketed as organic and holistic products. That, say attorneys from the City Attorney’s Office, has led to medical emergencies and, on many occasions, has even resulted in fatal overdoses.
From 2015 to 2025, the Centers for Disease Control have recorded at least 233 kratom-associated deaths in the U.S. — more than 10% of those deaths occurred in San Diego County in the past five years alone.
The rising number of deaths and other medical emergencies has led cities throughout the state to outlaw kratom and crack down on stores that sell it.
According to the newly filed court injunction, City Attorney Ferbert’s Office says Wadeea Wadeea is one of the city’s largest sellers at his stores in Otay Mesa West, Normal Heights, Ocean Beach, North Park, Mira Mesa and South San Diego.
The injunction is not the first legal action Ferbert’s office has taken against Wadeea. In December 2025, Ferbert’s Office filed a civil enforcement action against the smoke shop owner for selling unlicensed cannabis products.
In that investigation, investigators for the City Attorney’s Office discovered workers at Wadeea’s Mira Mesa Smoke and Vape were selling cannabis products from a “concealed back room.”
Now, Wadeea will be in court against the city for alegedly selling kratom as well. In the newly filed case, the city is asking a judge to prohibit Wadeea’s smoke shops from selling kratom. The city is also asking the smoke shop owner to pay a multitude of fines.
Times of San Diego contacted Mr. Wadeea’s attorney for comment. This article will be updated with any response.
