Kratom ordinance

A 70-year-old user of ten years, said natural kratom leaf ended his anxiety when pharmaceuticals failed, and urged the council to distinguish leaf from synthetic 7-OH.

A retired drug and alcohol counselor whose son overcame heroin addiction with kratom, asked the council to keep the leaf legal while banning synthetics.

After 22 hip surgeries and a lifetime on opioids, said kratom restored her quality of life; she supported banning 7-OH but urged keeping natural leaf available.

A chronic pain patient who lost prescribed opioids in 2018, said kratom manages his pain; argued pending bills AB 1088 and SB 578 would regulate appropriately and cited the Riverside County ordinance model.

A former heroin addict and author of a book on kratom, cited Johns Hopkins research and FDA statements, urging the city to ban 7-OH but regulate natural kratom like other cities have.

A retired RN, said kratom is not intoxicating and helps her manage pain from herniated discs; urged the council to keep natural kratom available.

A 67-year-old contractor, said kratom helped him and his mother-in-law avoid prescription opioid dependence after seeing doctors push painkillers.