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In this Issue:
CAT’S CLAW: THE NEXT SMOKE-SHOP
TREND TO WATCH
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October 2026
From the Desk of the Tall Cop
WHAT DRUG JUST SILENTLY REPLACED THE SYNTHETIC OPIOID 7OH?
Cat's Claw is the new trend to watch, as it is flooding our communities. A recent scan near major universities reveals something about this drug! During community scans in early 2026, I began documenting something that deserves A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT of attention: products labeled “Cat’s Claw,” “Uncaria tomentosa,” or “botanical extract,” showing up in smoke shops alongside products historically associated with kratom and 7-OH. The pictures from these scans tell the story and draw a clear picture. I am seeing brightly flavored chewable tablets, single-dose packets, blister packs and bottles marketed in strengths ranging from 100 mg and 150 mg to 200 mg per tablet and packages advertising 800, 1,000, 2,000 and even 10,000 mg. Some carry +21 warnings, addiction warnings, serving instructions as small as 1/8 of a tablet, and language such as “lab tested.”
First, what is REAL Cat’s Claw?
(click button below to keep reading)
| | | | This is what the Tall Cop Speakers Network looks like in action! | |
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The Tall Cop Speakers Network is Growing - Our New Website is Live!
Speaking of the Tall Cop Speakers Network, we have redesigned the Speakers page to make it easier than ever to find a speaker who fits the needs of your organization, conference, school, or community.
Take a look at the new site and share it with your administration and colleagues.
Every speaker has been personally vetted by me, and I can tell you that when you bring one of these speakers to your event, you aren't just getting information. You are getting real expertise, humor, genuine connection, and presentations that leave audiences more informed and better prepared.
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Tall Cop Speakers Network Spotlight
Meet Kym Laube
This month, we’re excited to spotlight Kym Laube, a nationally recognized leader in substance use prevention and a valued member of the Tall Cop Speakers Network.
Kym serves as Executive Director of Human Understanding & Growth Services (HUGS, Inc.) in New York and brings more than three decades of experience in prevention, youth development, recovery support, and community engagement.
What makes Kym such a powerful trainer is her ability to talk with people—not at them. Her energetic, authentic, and highly interactive presentations challenge audiences to think differently about prevention, stigma, addiction, resilience, and the role each of us can play in strengthening young people and communities. From her beginnings as a Teen Institute participant in 1986 to becoming a national trainer and prevention leader, Kym has built her career around helping people recognize their potential and become agents of change.
We’re proud to have Kym as part of the Tall Cop Speakers Network and even more excited that she’ll be joining us at the Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference in Dallas this November!
Want to book Kym? Please contact Marla@tallcopsaysstop.com.
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SEE THE TALL COP SPEAKERS NETWORK
IN DALLAS
This November, you'll have the opportunity to learn from several members of the Tall Cop Speakers Network during the 2026 Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference, including a full day of optional pre-conference sessions led by members of our network.
It's your opportunity to experience these speakers before bringing them to your own organization or community.
| | The 5th Annual Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference will be held on Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13, 2026, in downtown Dallas, Texas. The conference is an exclusive drug education and enforcement conference highlighting an array of superior speakers with expert knowledge. |
Pre-Conference Sessions!
We are excited to offer a full day of sessions, brought to you by our Tall Cop Speakers Network. Click here for the agenda. The pre-conference on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, is optional, but it does provide an additional 6 hours of credit.
The pre-conference sessions are included with your registration fee, but space is limited, and pre-registration is required.
| | Tall Cop Says Stop™ Kratom: Not the same as 7-OH | | We are incredibly excited to partner with the Center for Rapid Surveillance of Tobacco (CRST), whose work identifying emerging tobacco and nicotine products, marketing strategies, and changing patterns of use is critically important. One of the most valuable ways we can support this work is by sending CRST photos of vapes, nicotine products, packaging, devices, and other tobacco-related products we are seeing in stores and communities—real-world observations can help researchers identify changes in the marketplace as they happen. This partnership brings together CRST’s research and rapid surveillance with the Tall Cop’s boots-on-the-ground community scans, helping us identify emerging products and trends earlier and get critical information into the hands of professionals who need it. | | |
TCSS Boots on the
Ground Podcast
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Taking the Tall Cop Podcast to the Next Level
We’re excited to be working with Hello Studios to record our Tall Cop podcasts! Their professionalism, high-quality production, and attention to detail are helping us take our podcast to the next level and create an even better experience for our listeners. Having a professional studio and production team behind us allows us to focus on what matters most—great conversations, timely emerging drug trend information, and bringing valuable voices and expertise directly to our audience.
| | And we’re not stopping there! Hello Studios will be joining us at the Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference next month in Dallas, where they’ll be on-site recording even more podcast episodes with speakers, experts, and special guests. We’re looking forward to capturing some great conversations during the conference and bringing even more timely information from the field directly to our listeners! | | |
The threat landscape is evolving rapidly. Tall Cop Triple Threat brings together extended, powerful training sessions covering Emerging Drug Trends, Prevention, and AI/Social Media Dangers.
This 8-hour training provides timely, practical information to help law enforcement, educators, prevention professionals, and community leaders recognize emerging threats and better protect the communities they serve.
| | Cychlorphine, a deadly drug, sparks major warnings in Washington Parish | |  | Alcohol use is falling in America, but one age group is drinking more! | | | Tragic Ole Miss student bought Smax Pseudo-DHM kratom from raided store: court docs | | | Former Arizona fraternity leader sentenced to jail time after pledge dies in off-campus hazing | | | A banned form of kratom is being mixed into supplements sold at gas stations in Tennessee. Here’s what we know | | | “Cat’s Claw” Products Containing Unlabeled Kratom Alkaloids | | | Coos Co. health officials weigh potential ban on kratom sales | | |
The First Run of the Drug Resource Guide
SOLD OUT!
There is another exciting milestone I want to share.
The Tall Cop Boots on the Ground™ Drug Resource Guide has officially sold out of its original printing!
I cannot tell you how much we appreciate everyone who has purchased a guide, shared it with a colleague, used it in their training, or sent us feedback.
This guide was created to help professionals recognize what is actually showing up in communities, and hearing how you are using it in the field is incredibly valuable to our team.
If you haven't ordered yours yet, now is the time to get your guide!
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Check out our Tall Cop Online Store!
*New* Tall Cop Boots on the Ground Drug Resource Guide.
Order your Tall Cop swag today and rep prevention wherever you go!
| | | J. Chad Professional Training, LLC. | PO Box 23 | Argyle, TX 76226 US | | | | |
