ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA KRATOM BAN: OPPOSE THE DRAFT ORDINANCE

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors' Health Committee will meet in Oakland this Monday, July 27 at 9:30 AM PT to consider a draft ordinance banning the sale of kratom and 7-OH products in unincorporated Alameda County. Because it's an action item — Item III on Monday's agenda — the committee can vote to advance this ordinance directly to the full Board of Supervisors. This is the moment advocates need to be heard.

Written comments are due by 3:00 PM PT Sunday, July 26. That deadline is tomorrow. Act now.

Take Action Now

There are four ways to make your voice heard before and during Monday's meeting.

1. Submit a written comment by 3:00 PM PT Sunday, July 26

📝 Official public comment portal: bos.acgov.org/public-comments

Note: written comments submitted before 3:00 PM PT Sunday will be routed to the committee and available for inspection prior to the meeting. Comments submitted after that deadline and before the conclusion of the meeting will still be made part of the official record.

2. Contact the Health Committee supervisors directly

📧 Supervisor Nate Miley, District 4 (Committee Chair): District4@acgov.org

📧 Supervisor Lena Tam, District 3: bos.district3@acgov.org

3. Contact the health department staff presenting the ordinance

📧 Paul Cummings, Program Director, Tobacco Control Program: Paul.Cummings@acgov.org

📧 Rachel Gratz-Lazarus, Senior Program Specialist, Tobacco Control Program: Rachel.Gratz-Lazarus@acgov.org

4. Contact all Board of Supervisors members

📧 Supervisor David Haubert, District 1: bosdist1@acgov.org

📧 Supervisor Elisa Marquez, District 2: District2@acgov.org

📧 Supervisor Lena Tam, District 3: bos.district3@acgov.org

📧 Supervisor Nate Miley, District 4: District4@acgov.org

📧 Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, District 5: dist5@acgov.org

5. Attend the meeting in person or virtually

📅 Monday, July 27 — 9:30 AM PT

📍 Susan S. Muranishi County Administration Building, Board of Supervisors Chambers, 1221 Oak Street, Room 512, 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612

💻 Zoom: zoom.us/j/89668966442

Webinar ID: 896 6896 6442

📞 Phone: (877) 853-5257

If attending in person, fill out a speaker slip at the front of the Chambers and submit it to the Clerk before the meeting. Give your name for the record before speaking.

What to Say

Keep your comment brief, respectful, and personal. Share your personal experience with natural kratom leaf — it is the most powerful thing you can say. Use these points as a guide:

• Oppose the draft ordinance's ban on natural kratom leaf — responsible adults should not lose access

• Federal regulation is already here: the DEA's Notices of Intent schedule concentrated synthetic 7-OH — a local sales ban on natural leaf is not needed

• Natural kratom leaf and concentrated synthetic 7-OH are not the same product — the ordinance should not treat them as if they are

• Support commonsense regulation — age limits, third-party testing, and labeling requirements

What the Ordinance Would Do — and Where It Gets It Wrong

The draft ordinance would prohibit the sale of kratom and 7-OH products in unincorporated Alameda County, enforced through routine inspections of tobacco retail establishments and cannabis dispensaries. Violations would carry administrative fines ranging from $250 to $1,000.

The county's own framing of this ordinance — calling kratom "gas station heroin" and a "potent opioid" — reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the science and ignores the critical distinction between natural kratom leaf and concentrated synthetic 7-OH products. These are not the same thing, and federal regulators have said so explicitly.

The FDA has specifically recommended that synthetic 7-OH be classified as a controlled substance. The DEA has issued Notices of Intent to schedule concentrated synthetic 7-OH. That federal action targets the dangerous synthetic concentrate — not natural kratom leaf. A local ordinance that bans natural kratom leaf alongside synthetic 7-OH contradicts the direction federal regulators are already moving and removes access for responsible adults who have nothing to do with the synthetic products driving public health concerns.

As research discussed on the Huberman Lab podcast makes clear, natural kratom leaf has a distinct profile that sets it apart from synthetic concentrates. That distinction was further reinforced by an FDA clinical trial — the first of its kind — which examined kratom's pharmacological profile and underscored why natural leaf should not be treated the same as dangerous synthetic 7-OH.

The right approach is commonsense regulation — age limits, mandatory third-party testing, and proper labeling — that targets dangerous synthetic products while preserving access to natural kratom for responsible adults. For the latest on kratom legality across California and other states, visit our kratom legality map. Learn more about kratom legality and regulation nationwide.

The Bigger Picture

Because this is an action item on Monday's agenda, the Health Committee can vote to send this ordinance directly to the full Board of Supervisors. The time to be heard is now — before Monday's meeting, not after.

Submit your written comment at bos.acgov.org/public-comments before 3:00 PM PT Sunday, July 26. Contact the supervisors and health department staff directly. Attend the meeting in Oakland or virtually if you can.

The committee meets this Monday in Oakland. Every comment submitted and every supervisor contacted before then matters.