Caller Urges Board to Reconsider 2% Cap on 7‑Hydroxymitragynine; Item Approved as Recommended

Dan Arousa, who identified himself as a member of the public, asked the Board of Supervisors to reconsider a proposed 2% cap on 7‑hydroxymitragynine and urged the county to regulate the substance rather than effectively ban it.

"There's been over a billion uses worldwide with no reported deaths," Arousa said. "If it does become banned or the 2 percent, which is essentially a ban, I would urge you to please keep an eye on overdose deaths. They're going to rise." He urged that products be regulated "like alcohol, not sold to kids."

After the public comment, Board members discussed the matter briefly. The chair noted that public‑health partners including the sheriff’s department and the district attorney’s office had weighed in in support of staff’s recommendation. The board then approved the staff recommendation as presented; the clerk recorded the vote as 5‑0.

The action recorded at the dais was approval of the staff recommendation; no ordinance or regulatory text was adopted at the hearing. The chair said staff would continue to lead the policy effort and that the board was relying on county public‑health and safety professionals in their decision.

Because the meeting transcript records this as a public‑comment item followed by a staff recommendation and recorded board vote, the record does not include any newly adopted ordinance language during the meeting. The board’s approval was of the staff recommendation on the item as noticed.