HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA KRATOM ORDINANCE: SHOW UP NOVEMBER 10 TO PROTECT THE LEAF EXEMPTION

This one is different.

Hillsborough County’s proposed ordinance targets concentrated synthetic 7-OH only, keeping whole-leaf kratom, kratom tea, and botanical products legal for adults. That is the right approach. But ban advocates are already organized, have already testified, and want to expand it to a full kratom ban, Sarasota-style.

Commissioners hear from whoever shows up. If only the ban advocates are in the room on November 10, the leaf exemption is in danger. We need advocates there.

This one hits close to home. Super Speciosa is a Florida-based company and Hillsborough County is in our backyard. We have served Florida Kratom customers for years and we know firsthand how much natural kratom leaf means to the responsible adults in this community. That is why we are asking Florida advocates to show up on November 10 — not just for themselves, but for their neighbors, their community, and their home state. If the leaf exemption falls here, it sends a signal to every county in Florida watching.

Meeting Details

📅 Tuesday, November 10, 2026

⏰ 9:00 AM ET

📍 County Center, 2nd Floor Boardroom, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602

💻 Virtual speaking available

Boardroom capacity is 85 visitors. If capacity is met, overflow will be accommodated in the first floor multipurpose room.

Sign Up to Speak

The sign-up form opens 48 hours before the meeting and closes at 9:00 AM on the day of the meeting. Speakers are called in order of form submission, first come first served. Each speaker has up to 3 minutes.

🔗 Sign up online: hcfl.gov/government/meeting-information/sign-up-to-speak-at-a-meeting/sign-up-to-speak-at-a-bocc-meeting

Or sign up in person in the lobby of the Frederick B. Karl County Center between 8:30 and 9:00 AM on the day of the meeting.

Virtual speakers: You will receive a confirmation with call-in details after submitting the form. You must call in using the same phone number you provided on the form. Callers will be muted until recognized by the Chair.

Audiovisual presentations: Accepted from in-person attendees only. Submit PowerPoints and video clips to HTVrequest@hcfl.gov at least 48 hours before the meeting. Documents and photos for the overhead projector must be submitted at least 24 hours before the meeting.

Bring a friend. Every seat filled sends a message.

Email the Commissioners Today

Every contact matters. Write in your own words.

📧📞 Ken Hagan, Chair D2: HaganK@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5452

📧📞 Christine Miller, Vice Chair D4: MillerCh@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5740

📧📞 Harry Cohen, D1: CohenH@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5470

📧📞 Gwen Myers, D3: MyersG@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5720

📧📞 Donna Cameron Cepeda, D5: CameronD@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5725

📧📞 Chris Boles, D6: BolesC@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5730

📧📞 Joshua Wostal, D7: WostalJ@hcfl.gov | (813) 272-5735

📧 Copy and paste all: HaganK@hcfl.gov, MillerCh@hcfl.gov, CohenH@hcfl.gov, MyersG@hcfl.gov, CameronD@hcfl.gov, BolesC@hcfl.gov, WostalJ@hcfl.gov

📧 Submit written comments to the Clerk: boccrec@hillsclerk.com — reference the Nov. 10 kratom/7-OH ordinance.

What to Say

Write in your own words. Share your story and your Hillsborough connection. Use these points as a guide:

Pass the ordinance as written, with no amendments. Targeting concentrated synthetic 7-OH is the right call.

Keep the whole-leaf exemption. Reject any amendment that would expand the ban to botanical kratom or kratom tea.

Follow the state’s lead. Florida already requires buyers to be 21 and older and the AG acted against concentrated 7-OH, not natural leaf.

Follow the science. A peer-reviewed University of Florida study published October 22, 2026 in Frontiers in Pharmacology found insufficient evidence to ban natural kratom leaf and specifically supports targeting synthetic and semi-synthetic alkaloids, exactly as this ordinance does.

Share your story. A leaf ban pushes responsible adults to unregulated products.

What the Hillsborough Ordinance Actually Does

Hillsborough County’s proposed ordinance targets concentrated synthetic 7-OH products specifically, the dangerous chemically manipulated concentrates that have driven legitimate public health concerns. The ordinance preserves access to whole-leaf kratom, kratom tea, and botanical kratom products for responsible adults.

This is exactly the distinction that federal regulators have drawn. The DEA has moved to schedule concentrated synthetic 7-OH while leaving natural kratom leaf alone. The FDA has specifically recommended that synthetic 7-OH be classified as a controlled substance, not natural kratom leaf. Florida’s own Attorney General acted against concentrated 7-OH, not natural leaf. And Florida law already requires buyers to be 21 and older.

The Hillsborough ordinance follows all of that science and regulatory guidance. It is the right approach.

Why the Leaf Exemption Is at Risk

Ban advocates have already organized and already testified before this board. They want the ordinance amended into a full kratom ban, the same approach taken in Sarasota. If they are the only voices in the room on November 10, commissioners may hear only one side of the argument and move in that direction.

This is not a fight to oppose a bad ordinance. This is a fight to protect a good one from being made worse. Every advocate who shows up on November 10 and every commissioner who hears from a constituent before that date is a data point that the ordinance as written has real support from real people.

What the Science Says

A peer-reviewed study titled “Defining kratom: evidence-based policy guidelines for a rapidly evolving market” was published on October 22, 2026 in Frontiers in Pharmacology by researchers from the University of Florida and other institutions. The study found that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that kratom or traditional botanical preparations should be banned or scheduled.

The study draws a clear distinction between natural kratom leaf and the dangerous synthetic and semi-synthetic products flooding the market. Natural kratom leaf contains mitragynine as its primary alkaloid, with 7-OH occurring only at trace levels of 0.003% to 0.04% by weight in natural leaf material. The dangerous products are those with artificially concentrated or semi-synthetically produced 7-OH, exactly the products the Hillsborough ordinance targets.

The study specifically supports targeting Category 3b and Category 4 products, including isolated alkaloid fractions, synthetic duplicates, and chemically altered derivatives like concentrated 7-OH, while preserving access to natural leaf. That is exactly what the Hillsborough ordinance does. Read the full study: frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1925809/full

That peer-reviewed research reinforces what advocates and federal regulators have been saying: natural kratom leaf and dangerous synthetic concentrates are fundamentally different products and should be treated differently under the law.

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 Florida and other states, visit our kratom legality map. Learn more about kratom legality and regulation nationwide.

The Bigger Picture

The Hillsborough County ordinance as written is a model for how local governments can address legitimate public health concerns without punishing responsible adults. If ban advocates succeed in amending it into a full kratom ban, it sets a precedent that the right approach, targeting the synthetics while protecting the leaf, can be reversed by organized opposition showing up at the last moment.

Show up on November 10. Bring a friend. Sign up to speak online starting 48 hours before the meeting or in the lobby between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. Each speaker has 3 minutes. Email every commissioner today. Submit written comments to the Clerk at boccrec@hillsclerk.com.

The vote is November 10 at 9:00 AM ET. Every advocate in that room and every email to a commissioner before then matters.