Rolla is the latest municipality in Missouri to restrict the sale and possession of plant-based supplements including Kratom.
The Rolla City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday night making synthetic kratom and 7-hydroxymitragynine (also known as 7-OH) illegal to possess or sell. The measure also makes natural kratom, delta-7 THC and delta-8 THC available only to people over 21.
"For the sale of these things, they have to be behind the counter and out of the reach of anyone in the store," said Police Chief Sean Fagan.
The ordinance covers products marketed as energy boosters, natural medicines and even as ways to combat drug addiction and cope with mental health issues including post-traumatic stress disorder.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised people not to take them because they can be addictive and lead to health problems including death.
Some addiction support groups said the move is a step in the right direction but not enough.
David Dukes, of Neighborhood Hope Dealer Ministries, said the lack of regulations makes it nearly impossible to crack down on the supplements.
"Officers can't prove exactly what it is on the spot. It has to be sent off for testing. That process can take months, even close to a year," he said. "You have to do more to stop them."
Members of Life Changers Missouri, the local chapter of a national religious addiction support organization, said they have worked with people who became addicted to kratom and other unregulated supplements.
"I've had multiple experiences with people that would swap addictions, from opioids to kratom, and then having an overdose," said Justin Bumbalough, the group's director. "And those people aren't with us anymore."
There is an effort in the Missouri legislature to regulate kratom and similar products. Supporters of the supplements said the various versions are different and can't be treated the same way with blanket legislation.
St. Charles County and Kansas City are among the half-dozen other places in Missouri that have approved restrictions and regulations on kratom.
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