Temecula council votes unanimously to ban kratom and synthetic 7‑OH products

Temecula — The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to ban the sale, distribution and possession of kratom products and concentrated or synthetic 7‑hydroxy (7‑OH) alkaloids within city limits. The motion, made during a public hearing on a proposed amendment to chapter 8.56 of the Temecula Municipal Code, was approved 5‑0 after council members debated whether to adopt a 2% alkaloid threshold or pursue a full ban.

Senior planner Mark Collins told the council staff’s proposed ordinance would “prohibit the sale, distribution, and possession of kratom products containing greater than 2% alkaloid content,” an approach intended to align the city with Riverside County’s regulation while leaving open the option of a total ban. Collins said the California Department of Public Health has taken action against kratom sold as a food supplement and that related state legislation (AB 1088) remained under consideration.

Several council members said they were not confident that product labeling is reliable because kratom is largely unregulated by federal authorities. One council member argued, “To me, it sounds like until it’s a regulated product, we should ban it.” Another council member urged specificity in the ordinance language to target “concentrated synthetic 7‑OH” products in addition to naturally derived kratom.

After discussion about enforceability and public safety, a council member moved to ban kratom and 7‑OH products “for now.” The motion was seconded and passed by a 5‑0 vote. The council instructed staff to return the ordinance language consistent with the motion.

What happens next: The council’s motion directs staff to prepare the ordinance text reflecting the ban; the item will be scheduled for future formal introduction and reading by title (per standard ordinance procedure), and staff said the measure was exempt from CEQA under the common‑sense exemption (CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3)).