When HVAC technician Ethan Hogan worked jobs near UT’s campus, he could not help but notice the advertisements for little blue bottles at nearby stores and events. The advertisements were promoting Feel Free, a wellness supplement drink sold by the company Botanic Tonics, and is advertised as a “natural” and “science-backed” alternative to addictive substances like caffeine and stimulants.
“I start seeing it in every single store that I go to,” Hogan said. “The advertisements for it (caught) my eye because they’re like big inflatable bottles or stickers on the window.”
The company announced a corporate sponsorship agreement three years ago with Longhorns Sports Properties, which manages brand deals for Texas Athletics. The agreement allowed Botanic Tonics to market and hand out Feel Free at Texas Athletics events. However, Texas Athletics quietly discontinued its agreement with Botanic Tonics and removed the company from its sponsorship page over the weekend.
Hogan would go on to research Feel Free and the company’s ties to UT and advocate for its removal from the sponsorship list. In an email provided to the Texan by Hogan, Lucas Motta, vice president of Longhorn Sports Properties, wrote that the company would remove all ties to Botanic Tonics by the end of June.
The discontinuation of the sponsorship deal comes amid national criticism and a class action lawsuit in which Botanic Tonics is accused of inappropriately marketing the drink by concealing its addictive properties. The company settled the lawsuit for nearly $9 million last year.
The plaintiff’s allegations centered around kratom, a product extracted from leaves in Southeast Asia and one of the main ingredients in Feel Free. Kratom binds to portions of the brain in a similar way to opioids like codeine, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hogan said he reached out to Longhorn Sports Properties because he was concerned about Feel Free’s addictive properties.
“I was emotionally invested in this thing,” Hogan said. “That’s why I sent all the emails, because once people really see it for what it is, they wouldn’t tolerate it either.”
Botanic Tonics wrote in a news release that it communicated to customers the potential side effects of the drink, noting the bottles contain a warning that the product can lead to substance abuse if used irresponsibly and that the company restricts users under 21 years of age.
“We’re committed to understanding not just the effects of our products, but the underlying mechanisms,” wrote Ramsey Atallah, chief science and R&D officer at Botanic Tonics. “Our goal is to create products that are not only enjoyable but backed by rigorous science.”
Botanic Tonics handed out bottles of Feel Free at Longhorn Run in 2023, according to The Guardian. Claire Zagorski, a graduate research assistant in the College of Pharmacy, said she and some of her colleagues were alerted of the substance.
“People were walking away (from Longhorn Run) after having the shot and thinking that they were having a really great runner’s high,” Zagorski said. “Then they kind of realized that this was lasting longer.”
Zagorski said kratom can help people wean off drugs such as fentanyl or other prescribed opioids, but she is more concerned with the company’s transparency of the drug as opposed to the drug itself.
“I don’t think there are bad drugs,” Zagorski said. “There are drugs used in inappropriate ways. We just have to be honest about our labeling.”
