Bloomington is looking to join a growing number of Illinois communities that have banned the sale and possession of kratom.
The city council on Monday will consider the proposed ban on kratom and synthetic alternative drugs during its 6 p.m. meeting at the Government Center. Kratom is an herbal substance that can produce effects similar to opioids and stimulants.
In a staff memo to the city council, the city cites a Food and Drug Administration advisory that kratom can cause liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. It’s also been linked to deaths in rare cases, primarily when it’s been used in combination with other drugs.
Illinois has banned the sale of kratom to anyone under age 18. Other efforts to restrict it further at the state level have failed. It's been left to local governments to adopt their own regulations.
Because the drug is largely unregulated, some have turned to it for treatment of anxiety and depression.
City staff say synthetic alternative drugs, also known as designer drugs such as Spice and K2, are linked to various health problems, including hallucinations, agitation, psychosis, suicidal thoughts and death.
The city says while some state and federal laws ban some synthetic alternative drugs, drug makers continually change the composition of the compounds to evade the law.
Fines for sale, possession, distribution or use of kratom would start at $350 and could go as high as $750.
Businesses that violate the ordinance could lose their license, under the proposal.
