Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident asks county to investigate kratom sales and consider local restrictions
Summary
A Sequim resident asked the commissioners to refer concerns about the sale and public-health impact of kratom to the Board of Health, saying kratom products are widely available and may be addictive and linked to deaths.
A Sequim resident asked Clallam County commissioners to investigate local kratom sales and consider banning the substance or asking the Board of Health to review it.
“I would ask that the commissioners, all 3 of you, look into a particular drug that is being sold in the county. The name of the drug is kratom,” said Pepe Whipple Swim during public comment. “It is a drug that works on the same receptors in the brain that OxyContin does, and it is highly addictive. … There are people that are dying from kratom.”
Why it matters: The commenter said kratom is being sold openly at retail locations in Sequim and Port Angeles and argued the county should examine whether local action is warranted; he asked that the matter be placed on the Board of Health agenda.
Board response: A commissioner responded that the Board of Health is the appropriate body to evaluate the public‑health implications and the item will be “teed up” for the next Board of Health meeting.
Taper: The meeting record shows the commissioners did not adopt an ordinance or formal ban; the matter was referred to the Board of Health for consideration.
