ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO KRATOM BAN: PUBLIC HEARING THIS THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 — ATTEND OR EMAIL NOW

The City of Albuquerque is considering proposed regulations that would prohibit kratom in food service and retail establishments. The public hearing is this Thursday October 22 from 11 AM to 1 PM MT at Vincent Griego Council Chambers, 1 Civic Plaza, Albuquerque, NM.

If you live in or near Albuquerque, please attend and share your story. If you cannot make it, a personal email can still make a difference. Please spread the word to any friends or family in Albuquerque — they need to hear about this.

Hearing Details

📅 Thursday, October 22, 2026

⏰ 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM MT

📍 Vincent Griego Council Chambers, 1 Civic Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87102

🔗 Meeting details: cabq.gov/clerk/rulemaking/proposed-regulation-amendment-to-2024-rules-of-the-city-of-albuquerque-food-service-and-retail-ordinance

Take Action Now

Attend the Hearing in Person Thursday October 22

Show up at Vincent Griego Council Chambers and share your personal story. Personal testimony is the most powerful tool we have.

Submit Written Public Comment

📧 Email: consumerhealth@cabq.gov

Write only in your own words. Do not copy and paste. Personal messages are what make a difference.

What to Say

Write only in your own words. Personal testimony is the most powerful tool we have. Use these points as a guide:

Oppose the proposed prohibition of natural kratom leaf products.

The products causing harm in communities are chemically manipulated 7-OH concentrates, not natural kratom leaf. They are fundamentally different products.

The DEA has already recognized that difference, issuing updated emergency scheduling actions against chemically manipulated 7-OH at the federal level while leaving natural kratom leaf alone. Read the DOJ announcement: justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-announces-updates-emergency-scheduling-actions-7-oh-and-related-opioid

Urge officials to regulate kratom responsibly rather than impose an unnecessary ban.

Share your personal story — how natural kratom leaf has helped you.

What the Proposed Regulation Would Do

The Albuquerque Environmental Health Department has proposed amendments to the 2024 Rules of the City of Albuquerque Food Service and Retail Ordinance. Among the proposed changes is language that would specifically prohibit kratom and other non-Generally Recognized as Safe ingredients in food service and retail establishments across the city.

The intent to address unsafe products is understandable. The problem is that the proposed regulation makes no distinction between natural kratom leaf and the dangerous chemically manipulated 7-OH concentrates that have driven legitimate public health concerns. These are not the same product, and federal regulators have now said so explicitly.

The Federal Distinction Albuquerque Should Follow

On October 9, 2026, the Department of Justice announced updated emergency scheduling actions targeting 7-OH and three related opioid substances: mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI), MGM-15, and MGM-16. The updated actions incorporate new scientific recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services and establish clearer thresholds specifically designed to distinguish products containing trace amounts of these substances from formulations that have been intentionally enhanced or concentrated.

The HHS analysis confirms that 7-OH occurs naturally in botanical kratom at relatively low levels. The updated approach is specifically designed to target products intentionally enhanced or concentrated in opioid substances, not botanical kratom whose alkaloid composition is consistent with natural leaf.

Attorney General Todd Blanche was direct: “Dangerous and addictive opioids do not belong behind convenience store counters.” The federal government’s updated approach draws exactly the line that Albuquerque’s proposed regulation ignores — targeting dangerous synthetic concentrates while leaving natural botanical kratom alone.

A city prohibition that sweeps natural kratom leaf into the same ban as chemically manipulated synthetic concentrates contradicts the direction federal regulators are already moving and punishes responsible adults for a problem they did not create.

Kratom advocates have taken this message directly to Washington. In a recent Congressional briefing, advocates urged lawmakers to support natural kratom leaf products while warning of the distinct risks posed by synthetic concentrates — reinforcing the same distinction that federal regulators have already drawn. Read more: Kratom Advocates Brief U.S. Congress in Support of Natural Leaf Products, Warn of the Risks Posed by Synthetics.

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. For the latest on kratom legality in New Mexico and other states, visit our kratom legality map. Learn more about kratom legality and regulation nationwide.

The Bigger Picture

Thursday’s hearing is the opportunity for Albuquerque residents to be heard before these regulations are finalized. If you live in or near Albuquerque, attend in person at Vincent Griego Council Chambers. If you cannot attend, email consumerhealth@cabq.gov today in your own words.

Share this with every Albuquerque resident you know. The hearing is this Thursday from 11 AM to 1 PM MT. Every personal voice heard and every personal email sent before then matters.