KRATOM REGULATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL - OCTOBER 2025 UPDATE

Despite developments in the science around kratom and how the federal government views natural leaf kratom in the wake of those developments, there is still a gap in regulations and restrictions at the state and local levels.

Due to that disconnect, a flurry of activity has happened at the local level in recent months that will affect thousands of kratom customers across the country as the ‘kratom question’ gets taken up by health boards and city councilors. Here’s the latest on those developments: 

Synthetic Kratom Ban in Orange County, California, Trickles Down to City Governments

A pair of California municipalities is considering taking action on kratom after county administrators passed a synthetic kratom ban. 

The Orange County Board of Supervisors finalized a ban on synthetic kratom products on Aug. 26 in the unincorporated parts of the county. In response to that action, two cities in the county are at the final stages of considering their own kratom restrictions. 

Laguna Niguel was the first to react and created a proposed ordinance that would put limitations on kratom sales and make it unlawful to sell nitrous oxide in the city. 

As far as the kratom regulations are concerned, the resolution would set an age requirement of 21 years old and would set the maximum concentration of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) at two percent of the total alkaloid composition. That limit is in line with several laws in other states that limit 7-OH levels due to the opioid like properties of the artificially enhanced 7-OH products. 

The proposed law in Laguna Niguel cites recent scientific data that suggests 7-OH is a more potent opioid agonist than morphine, while clarifying definitions of allowable natural leaf kratom products. After being approved by city leadership, the ordinance will be considered for adoption during the Oct. 21 meeting of the city council. 

Fountain Valley is another city in Orange County and is at the beginning stages of taking up the county’s restrictions on synthetic kratom products. At the Sept. 25 meeting of the Fountain Valley City Council, Mayor Ted Bui proposed that the city take action against synthetic kratom. The council agreed to hear the matter during its November meeting.  

Kratom Age Limits Considered in Missouri Communities

A bill to regulate kratom in Missouri stalled out in the state senate earlier this year, leaving a regulatory gap in the state. In response, a pair of cities in the state is now considering age restrictions on kratom purchases. 

In both Rock Hill and Lake Saint Louis, the local governments have lumped kratom with hemp-derived intoxicants and proposed setting a required age of 21 years old for purchase. That is the same required age that was included in the proposed state law, but it lacks label requirements and protections against products with artificially enhanced levels of 7-OH. 

Rock Hill’s Board of Aldermen had a first reading of its proposed kratom regulations at the Oct. 7 meeting, while Lake Saint Louis proposed kratom restrictions as new business during the Oct. 6 session of its board. The next meeting in Lake Saint Louis is set for Oct. 20. 

Massachusetts Municipalities Take Aim at Kratom Products

Another state that has created a void due to a lack of state-level kratom regulations is Massachusetts. Without wide-ranging regulations, several local communities have already enacted kratom restrictions, and the trend has continued in recent months. 

Northampton was the first to codify kratom restrictions in August and settled on a ban on synthetically derived kratom products that took effect on Oct. 1. The ban specifically covers any product that has “been altered from its natural plant form through chemical synthesis or the use of synthetic alkaloid analogs or concentrates beyond what occurs naturally in the plant.” It also specifically creates an exemption for natural kratom leaf products. 

Although 7-OH is not mentioned in the ban, it was discussed during deliberations. 

“7-OH is present in the leaf and in the powder, but it’s at a very low percentage,” said Dr. Suzanne Smith, who serves on the city’s Board of Health. “It’s not thought to be a high enough percentage to cause problems unless the substance is manipulated.”

In a more heavy-handed approach, the Marlborough Board of Health joined other Massachusetts communities by voting to ban all kratom products at its Oct. 7 meeting. Despite a back-and-forth during the public hearing in September, the board opted to ban all forms of kratom and all kratom-derived products, effective Dec. 1 of this year. 

The Boards of Health in both Billerica and Amherst also recently held public hearings on the kratom question, and are actively considering bans similar to the one that was passed by Marlborough.  

City of Diamonhead, Mississippi, Moves to Explore Kratom Regulations

One state that did pass a law regulating kratom was Mississippi, and now one city is taking a closer look at how it can supplement its own laws to protect customers from illegal products. 

That law was HB 1077, which made it illegal to sell kratom products to individuals younger than 21, set limits on the amount of 7-OH that can be present in kratom products and set label requirements for kratom products. Even with a state law, Mayor Anna Liese raised the question about the safety of kratom products at the city council meeting on Oct. 7. Most of the back-and-forth on kratom involved councilmembers and city personnel explaining the law to Liese. 

“Since (the state) passed this, I think we need to get more on the regulation side of things and enforce it. That way, we can get away from the bad and regulate what we have now,” said Councilmember Austin Clark. 

By the end of the conversation, the council agreed to ask the city attorney what more could be done to keep kratom customers safe from illegal products and those that are artificially enhanced.

“We need to have a conversation, do the research and make a good decision,” Liese said. 

Potential Local Ban in Lincolnwood, Illinois 

A village located in the Chicago metro area has included kratom in a proposed ban of “unregulated intoxicating substances.” 

The Village of Lincolnwood is a small community that is located in the eastern part of Chicago and considered a wide-ranging ban that covers kratom, hemp-derived products and flavored tobacco. During the Committee of the Whole Meeting on Oct. 9, the Village Board discussed the matter in depth with local leadership and law enforcement. 

“Kratom is often lumped in, but it is a very different plant,” said Village Attorney Stewart Weiss.

Although many local-level actions around kratom fail to account for the complexity and developing science around the plant, Weiss gave a thorough account of the current state of kratom regulations. Weiss made a clear distinction between 7-OH and natural kratom products and referenced the intentions of the federal government to take action against artificially enhanced 7-OH products. 

“There are people who have figured out how to take a bunch of kratom leaves and extract out the 7-OH,” Weiss said. “The 7-OH isn’t stimulative; in fact, it has an opioid-like effect.” 

Board members asked about the efficacy of countering 7-OH overdoses and discussed a plan to better understand what type of kratom products were currently being sold in the village. Although there was limited discussion around natural kratom products, the board kept the proposed ordinance as it was drafted (which includes all forms of kratom), but could still make changes to the proposed regulations before the is enshrined in law.