Florida Medical Examiners Commission (MEC): Mitragynine in Post-Mortem Toxicology
Statewide counts summarized from Florida MEC annual and interim drug reports (2020–2024). “Occurrences” reflect toxicology detections in deceased persons and are not equivalent to deaths.
Primary source reports (Florida MEC):
- Florida 2020 Annual Drug Report (UPDATED)
- Florida 2021 Annual Drug Report
- Florida 2022 Annual Drug Report
- Florida 2023 Annual Drug Report
- Florida 2024 Interim Drug Report
Interactive dashboard: Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons (Power BI)
Statewide Mitragynine Counts (2020–2024)
| Year | Total Occurrences | Cause of Death | Present at Death | Cause % | Present % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 246 | 166 | 80 | 67% | 33% |
| 2021 | 305 | 187 | 118 | 61% | 39% |
| 2022 | 308 | 172 | 136 | 56% | 44% |
| 2023 | 274 | 182 | 92 | 66% | 34% |
| 2024* | 224 | 131 | 93 | 58% | 42% |
*2024 reported as interim/semi-annual in Florida MEC materials.
Legislature-Facing Interpretation
- Across 2020–2024, mitragynine was classified as cause of death in the majority of detections each year.
- “Present at death” reflects non-causal detection and frequently occurs in polysubstance contexts.
- Fluctuations in total counts do not negate risk when the causal proportion remains substantial.
Plain-language takeaway
Florida medical examiners distinguish between mere detection and causal contribution. In these reports, mitragynine is more often determined to have contributed causally than to be incidental.