Bloomington residents and businesses can no longer possess or sell the herbal substance kratom and synthetic alternatives.
The Bloomington City Council on Monday approved a proposed ban on the unregulated drug, joining other communities in blocking the substance known to produce effects similar to opioids and stimulants.
“Kratom is not an ordinary consumer product. It is unregulated, inconsistently labeled, and sold without standardized dosing or meaningful oversight — despite having drug-like effects and documented risk,” said council member Micheal Mosley, adding he’s spent several months researching the issue.
The vote on the kratom ban was the only item of regular business during the 80-minute meeting. The proposal passed unanimously with two absences [Jenna Kearns, Cody Hendricks]. There was no debate following the staff’s formal presentation.
“This ordinance comes from a place of caring for our neighbors and taking residents’ concerns seriously,” said Mosley. “This is a local government doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, responding when a credible issue affects the well-being of our residents.”
Illinois already bans the sale of kratom to anyone under age 18, but efforts to restrict it further at the state level have been unsuccessful. That’s put the onus on local municipalities to enact their own regulations.
Around Central Illinois, East Peoria enacted a kratom ban in October. Morton took the same action in November, and Pekin approved its restriction of the substance last month.
“I have been through this process of looking at all the various municipalities throughout the state of Illinois that have enacted some form of regulation of kratom, and the list is very long. I stopped counting at about 30,” said city attorney Chris Spanos.
Kratom is sold as an energy booster and pain reliever, and has been used to treat anxiety and depression.
However, an advisory from Food and Drug Administration warns it can cause liver toxicity, seizures and potential addiction. In rare cases, it’s been connected to deaths when used in combination with other drugs.
Several opponents of the ban, including five who spoke virtually during the 30 minutes of public comments, said natural whole-leaf kratom is safe, while the synthetically concentrated compound 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly called 7-OH, is responsible for the health problems that have raised concerns.
“Having seen what I have seen, and knowing what I know, I am now an advocate for all the folks who use kratom, most often high-functioning individuals,” said local business owner Cameron Feldman, who spoke to the council in person. “Kratom is not a party substance. People use it therapeutically for three different reasons — chronic pain, chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression.”
But anesthesiologist Ryan Easley spoke strongly in favor of banning kratom.
“It is a narcotic by definition, since it works on the ‘Mu Receptor,’ just as morphine, fentanyl, some of the other narcotics we’re familiar with — heroin,” said Easley. “These are all controlled. I see no reason why kratom would also not be controlled.”
Bloomington city officials say “designer” synthetic alternative drugs like Spice and K2 are linked to health problems such as hallucinations, agitation, psychosis, suicidal thoughts and death.
Spanos said the city’s kratom ban classifies it as a nuisance violation and not a criminal offense — a point reiterated by Assistant Police Chief Paul Williams.
“Don’t be confused, nobody’s going to prison for possessing this. That’s not the intent,” said Williams, noting that kratom has been referred to as “gas station heroin.”
“When you do the research and you look at the most respected medical people in the field, nobody says it’s a good idea to use this stuff, and nobody can tell you how much is the right amount,” said Williams.
While the initial proposal called for the ban to go into effect immediately, following a recommendation from Spanos, the action was amended to delay enforcement for 11 days.
Bloomington’s fines for sale, possession, distribution or use of kratom start at $350 and range as high as $750. Businesses found violating the ban could face a loss of their license.
Mental health fund audit
As part of the consent agenda, the council approved a memorandum of understanding with McLean County and the Town of Normal related to an independent audit of the Mental Health and Public Safety Fund.
The memorandum of understanding aims to define the scope of the audit, allowing an examination of spending to include expenditures, outgoing transfers and contractual obligations of the fund existing on or before Dec. 31, 2024.
The McLean County Board approved the memorandum of understanding at its Jan. 15 meeting. The Normal Town Council also must approve before the audit can begin.
Bloomington and Normal share a portion of their home rule sales tax revenues with McLean County to support efforts to address mental health needs.
In documents obtained and reviewed by WGLT in September, the city and town accused the county of defaulting on the long-standing agreement. In a November letter to the county, Bloomington and Normal expressed willingness to work toward a resolution instead of moving forward with legal action.
Other business
Additional items approved as part of the consent agenda include:
- Three separate authorizations to allocate more than $20.1 million in motor fuel tax funds toward the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Fox Creek Road street and bridge improvements;
- An intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois State Police for continuing participation in the multi-jurisdictional Task Force 6 targeting narcotics and weapons trafficking;
- A three-year intergovernmental agreement totaling $226,000 for the Ecology Action Center solid waste program, in partnership with Normal and McLean County;
- A fourth plan revision to the Empire Business Park to subdivide an undeveloped portion into 15 lots, along with associated street work; and
- A zoning map change to classify an undeveloped 15-acre property on Beich Road as a multi-family residential district.
Also, finance director Scott Rathbun delivered his updated financial report through the end of December 2025, noting home rule sales tax is $2.8 million ahead of the budgeted projection.
