BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – An ordinance banning kratom sales in Bellingham has cleared its final hurdle.
City councilmembers voted 6-0 with one absence at their regular meeting Monday night, Sept. 28 to ban the sale and distribution of all kratom products.
My Bellingham Now previously reported that the ordinance was introduced to the council earlier this month following a similar ban being passed in Mount Vernon.
Councilmember Michael Lilliquist says that he initially wanted to see stricter guidelines on labelling and packaging, but noted that’s beyond their scope as a council:
“City governments can’t do that sort of thing. That’s why you have federal and state agencies,” he said at the meeting. “This is what I hope will be a stopgap way of protecting our public from potentially dangerous compounds at ridiculously high concentrations until other levels of government step in and do perhaps a better job.”
A naturally occurring alkaloid found in the kratom plant has been found to cause a stimulating effect on its users, similar to morphine.
Gas stations and smoke shops often sell higher-potency kratom products, usually sold under the name 7-OH, which studies have shown can lead to addiction and withdrawal within frequent users.
Washington state doesn’t have any laws regarding kratom sales or use, but the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily classified the kratom alkaloid as a Schedule 1 substance over the summer.
The city of Bellingham’s new ordinance does not prohibit the possession or use of any kratom product.
