Morton board bans kratom sales and use, sets enforcement after publication

The Village of Morton board on Nov. 3 adopted Ordinance 26-17 to prohibit the sale, possession and use of kratom within the municipal code, after trustees heard accounts of local overdoses and public-health concerns.

Chief of Police introduced the ordinance, saying the product is not FDA-regulated and that local cases have resulted in addiction and rehabilitation for people who thought they were buying a nutritional supplement. “What kratom is, it’s similar to a synthetic opioid, and it’s not FDA regulated,” the chief said, describing a recent case in which a young person obtained the product at a local gas station and later required treatment.

The village attorney explained enforcement timing: the ordinance includes a ten-day window after adoption and publication before penalties are imposed, which the attorney said puts initial enforceability at about Nov. 28. Trustees asked whether state or federal prohibitions exist; the chief said there is currently no state or federal ban.

Trustees moved and seconded the ordinance and the board approved it on a roll-call vote.

The ordinance follows testimony from a community speaker at the previous meeting and coordination with the Tazewell County Health Department, which the chief said is encouraging neighboring jurisdictions to consider similar bans. The measure directs village staff to follow the published ordinance and to carry out initial education before enforcement begins.

The board did not state a detailed enforcement protocol in the meeting record beyond the 10-day publication window; the attorney said some education commonly precedes enforcement in similar local ordinances.

Next steps: the ordinance will be published as required and enforcement actions may begin after the statutory notice period. No appeals or amendments were recorded at the meeting.