The Oneida County Board of Legislators has put its foot down and banned the sale of kratom county-wide in a unanimous vote at its regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. announced the legislation in June, warning residents of the drug and how it was responsible for overdoses across the nation.
What is kratom?
Kratom, also known by its scientific name Mitragyna speciosa, is commonly sold as teas, powders, capsules and can be bought at gas stations and convenience stores.
Health officials warn that kratom can affect the brain similarly to opioids and has been associated with risks including abuse, addiction and other adverse health effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for medical use.
Picente first announced his intent to ban the substance during his State of the County Address on May 8, identifying the drug as an emerging public health concern and calling for local action to address the growing availability of products with opioid-like effects.
What the law does in Oneida County
A public health order banning the sale of kratom and kratom-derived products was then issued by the Oneida County Health Department and went into effect June 5. The new local law strengthens the public health order by doing the following:
Residents, legislators speak
On the topic of the kratom ban, there was one person who spoke in favor of the ban and one who spoke against it, with the latter saying that she wanted a regulation of the leaf product and not an outright ban, citing her own personal experience using the plant in place of opioid painkillers.
District 13 Legislator Christopher Newton agreed, saying that while he was going to vote for the ban, he could understand the benefits of the plant.
“We could split this out so the leaf is still available to be used medicinally for people who don’t want to take opiates, because the leaf contains far less of the active ingredient than what’s being sold in the smoke shops,” Newton said. “But it will be a continuing chase to keep these different products off the market and out of our children’s hands. So I will vote yes because it will benefit our society, but I still wish we had a way to provide the leaf to those who would use it as a medicinal drug to ease their pain.”
On the flip side, District 14 Legislator Chad Davis cited a 2026 Center for Disease Control study, saying that poison control centers in the United States have reported an increase of kratom-related exposures ” … by 1,200% from 2015 to 2025.”
“As of January, 30 states and the District of Columbia regulate kratom or its components in some manner. Six states have a total kratom ban,” Davis said. “You don’t know who is putting those products out there or what’s in them.
“Maybe the leaf product is safe if cut out, but these products have all sorts of chemicals in them. Even if one in 200 after taking it for a time or instantly dies from this, that’s one too many. Playing Russian roulette with a drug that’s unregulated like this, I’m not in favor of allowing it so I’m voting yes on the ban.”
District 12 Legislator Kenneth White said the sale of unregulated sale of kratom has become a public health hazard and supported the ban.
“It could be used in its pure and natural form, but it can be synthesized into something that’s much more dangerous,” White said. “It’s lead to addiction, medical distress, and even death. This legislation isn’t about restricting personal freedoms, it’s about safety. We can’t allow this unregulated product to cause any more deaths.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Oneida lawmakers approve countywide kratom ban amid health concerns
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
