Council sends kratom ban back to ordinance committee after extensive public comment and testimony

The Livingston Parish Council on April 24 introduced an ordinance to prohibit the sale of kratom in the parish and, after extensive public comment, voted 8–1 to send the proposal back to the ordinance committee for revision. Councilmembers asked the committee to consider excluding whole-leaf, unadulterated kratom used by some adults for self-management while banning concentrated extracts and adding an age restriction similar to alcohol or tobacco.

The meeting included multiple witnesses. Tim Brown, chief of investigations for the Livingston Parish coroner’s office, told the council his office sees a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths and said kratom or kratom products were found in many recent overdose postmortem toxicology reports; he cited a 2021 death of a toddler he linked to kratom exposure. "Over the last few years, most every overdose that we've had... Kratom was involved," Brown said.

Law enforcement from neighboring Ascension Parish described their local ordinance. Lieutenant Todd Tiete, who works narcotics enforcement in Ascension, said his office had recommended banning sales of certain kratom products in retail stores while avoiding criminal penalties for possession; Ascension’s ordinance imposes escalating fines for sellers and can revoke business licenses for repeat violations. "We propose banning the sale [in stores] — not criminalizing possession," Tiete said, and reported a drop in store-sourced kratom findings after his parish’s ordinance.

Several residents and business owners urged a regulatory approach instead of an outright ban. Leanne Pearson and others described personal experiences using unadulterated leaf kratom to manage chronic pain and mental-health issues. Adam Peek, a Baton Rouge store owner, and Vivian Allen, a long-time user and state AKI (association) volunteer, urged regulation and vendor standards. Others, including Megan Jasbuk, described family harms and urged an immediate local ban on sales of adulterated products sold in gas stations and convenience stores.

Councilman Mangus introduced the ordinance; council members considered a substitute motion to send the matter back to the ordinance committee to craft language that would ban adulterated or concentrated extracts and add an age limit. The substitute motion passed 8–1, sending the draft back to the ordinance committee for revision and further stakeholder input and asking staff to consult existing parish ordinances such as Ascension’s model. No sale or possession penalties were enacted on April 24; the council’s action returns the issue to committee for a revised draft and continued public hearings.