‘Gas Station Heroin’ Founder Supported by MicroMullin Makes Shocking Admission

The addict who founded Feel Free built his fortune on a $10 million felony, served federal prison time, and changed his name—then launched a kratom empire which the DHS Secretary has a large stake in.

Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images

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The convicted felon behind a controversial kratom-based drink that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin holds a large stake in once admitted: “I knew that some people would abuse it.”

J.W. Ross, 63, built Botanic Tonics into one of America’s fastest-growing wellness brands with a message that processed substances poison—and that he was the recovering addict who’d found a better way.

But as concerns grow over its kratom-and-kava tonic Feel Free, described by critics as ‘gas station heroin’ due to its widespread availability and habit-forming nature, PunchUp can reveal that Ross acknowledged he launched the product fully aware of its addictive potential.

Kratom is a Southeast Asian plant whose leaves contain compounds that act on the brain’s opioid receptors to produce pain relief and, depending on the dose, either a stimulant-like lift or sedation. Kava is a Pacific Island root traditionally brewed into a calming, mildly sedative drink.

There are currently 13,000 members in the subreddit r/Quittingfeelfree, which features daily horror stories about their dependence on Feel Free and attempts to kick the habit, and serves as an online support group for those struggling to do so.