Board directs staff to draft urgency ordinance on kratom after county health experts warn of rising deaths and youth targeting

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to draft an urgency ordinance to regulate the sale of kratom after a panel of county health officials, clinicians and the medical examiner flagged rising local harms and consumer‑safety gaps.

County behavioral health and medical staff told the board that kratom — a plant extract sold in multiple forms and increasingly in brightly packaged candies and drinks — is unpredictable and can be lethal when used with other depressant drugs. "What you don't know can kill you," Dr. Tipu Khan, chief of addiction medicine at Ventura County Medical Center, told supervisors during the time‑certain presentation.

The county medical examiner reported that 46 deaths in Ventura County since 2018 involved mitragynine, the active kratom alkaloid, and that six of those deaths occurred in the past year; nearly all involved other substances in the person's system, the examiner said. "All but 1 had other substances that contributed to the death," the medical examiner said.

Why the Board acted

Presenters stressed two problems: (1) the product is not regulated, so potency varies dramatically across batches and manufacturers; and (2) manufacturers and retailers have marketed concentrated products and colorful, candy‑like formulations that may appeal to young people. County clinicians said they have seen more patients seeking treatment for kratom dependence and overdose.

The FDA announced recently that it intends to schedule 7‑hydroxymitragynine (a potent mitragynine metabolite) and the agency has drawn attention to synthetic concentrates; county experts emphasized that local policy must distinguish between whole‑leaf traditional kratom use and concentrated synthetic products that drive much of the fatality reports.

Board action and next steps

Supervisor Long moved and Supervisor Parvin seconded a motion directing county staff to prepare an urgency ordinance and return to the board with draft language; the motion passed unanimously. County counsel and public‑health staff said any ordinance would be presented to the board for adoption at a later date and would be coordinated with city partners to encourage a consistent regional approach.

What presenters said

- Dr. Tipu Khan (addiction medicine): "It is addictive... and it does have an overdose risk. What you don't know can kill you." He described how products vary from mild stimulant at low doses to opiate‑like depressants at higher doses and said manufacturers are concentrating the active alkaloid for sale in the U.S.

- Ventura County medical examiner (Dr. Young): "Since 2018, our data shows that 46 people have died with mitragynine as a component... 6 of those just in the last year." He emphasized that most kratom‑involved deaths included other drugs, raising the risk of fatal overdose when substances are combined.

- Public health and prescribers group (Dr. Vlaskovitz/Velaszkovich): Noted the FDA filing on the 7‑hydroxymitragynine metabolite and said a state bill has been proposed to regulate labeling, sales to minors and testing standards; the FDA schedule process could take months.

Public comment and contested views

During public comment, several patients and advocates described using traditional whole‑leaf kratom as a replacement for prescription opioids and urged that any local ordinance distinguish between lab‑manufactured synthetics (often sold as "7‑OH" products) and whole‑leaf traditional uses. Others, including addiction physicians and the medical examiner, emphasized that concentrated products and additives pose the greatest risk.

Policy considerations raised

- Distinguish whole‑leaf kratom from concentrated synthetic alkaloid products in any regulatory text.

- Consider options ranging from prohibition of retail sales to age restrictions, labeling and testing requirements, registration of vendors and enforcement funding.

- Coordinate with cities that have already adopted local rules (Newport Beach, Oceanside, San Diego jurisdictions cited) so that patchwork regulation does not simply shift sales across boundaries.

Clarifying details cited to the board

- Local deaths: Ventura County medical examiner reported 46 deaths involving mitragynine since 2018; six deaths in the last 12 months.

- FDA action: Staff told the board the FDA recently announced its intention to schedule 7‑hydroxymitragynine; scheduling is expected to take months and would address one potent metabolite but not necessarily whole‑leaf products.

- Local examples: At least three California cities have moved to ban or restrict kratom sales; Oceanside has broader rules for psychoactive sales, staff said.

Ending

Supervisors asked staff to draft an urgency ordinance and return with options, enforcement considerations and draft text. The board's unanimous direction clears staff to move quickly on a local regulatory response while also noting the tradeoffs between prohibition, targeted bans on synthetics, and labeling/testing approaches recommended by prescribers' groups.