The Sterling Heights City Council on Tuesday passed a ban on the sale and distribution of kratom products, putting it among the first communities in the state to regulate the substances.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, and the consumption of its leaves produces stimulant effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Some local and state officials have been interested in regulating both kratom and its more dangerous derivative, 7-hydroxymytragynine, both of which can have opioid-like effects.
The Sterling Heights City Council voted 6-1, with Mayor Michael Taylor dissenting, on Tuesday to adopt an ordinance banning the sale and distribution of kratom.
Sterling Heights Councilwoman Maria Schmidt noted that kratom products aren’t regulated.
“I’m glad that there is relief for people with medical conditions or addictions ― I just don’t feel comfortable having this available without real regulations in place,” she said.
Mayor Michael Taylor, who dissented in the kratom vote, said it was “a hard vote” for him.
“I changed my mind several times and wasn’t sure how I would vote even after the council began deliberations,” he said in a statement. “I ultimately voted no because I am not convinced that a complete ban is appropriate, given the testimony of countless people who contacted me to tell me that kratom cured them of debilitating pain and has given them back their quality of life.”
He said he would have preferred to ban synthetic kratom and prohibit the sale of whole leaf kratom to anyone under 21 years old. However, he said, he respects the council’s decision.
Sterling Heights Police Department Lt. Aaron Susalla, who is also the president of the Sterling Heights Drug-Free Coalition, previously told The News that the city is pursuing the ordinance because of the serious effects that kratom has on individuals and for “the safety of the public.”
“It’s just another one of those substances that affects people’s abilities to make… good decisions,” he said. “It messes with their equilibrium.”
He said city officials are worried about young people taking the substance.
The American Kratom Association, an organization that advocates for “protecting the rights of all Americans to legally consume safe kratom,” supports the regulation of kratom, but not its banning. But the association backs banning 7-hydroxymitragynine.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Sterling Heights passes ban on sale, distribution of kratom products
Reporting by Anne Snabes, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
