Agoura Hills council votes 5-0 to introduce ordinance banning local kratom sales

The Agoura Hills City Council on March 25 voted unanimously to introduce and waive full reading of Ordinance No. 26-486, which would prohibit the sale of kratom products within city limits.

City intern Jane Hoover presented the staff report and described kratom as an herbal product with stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. Hoover said the product contains a concentrated compound described in the presentation as “70 h, which is found to be 10 times stronger than morphine,” and listed health risks including addiction, withdrawal, seizures and reported fatalities in Los Angeles County. She told the council the ordinance mirrors Los Angeles County Public Health language and aligns the city with neighboring jurisdictions that have adopted similar bans.

Hoover said the city has identified two retailers still selling kratom locally and recommended a complaint-driven enforcement approach. “Residents would be directed to our website to submit reports,” she said, adding that the city would refer reports to Los Angeles Public Health, which conducts inspections, can issue citations and may destroy noncompliant product on-site.

Councilmembers framed the ordinance as a response to school-district concerns and local public-health risks. Councilmember Sylvester thanked the Los Virgenes Unified School District and said the subcommittee considered the issue “a no-brainer.” Mayor Pro Tem Klein Lopez called the potential for addiction among young adults “an urgent issue” and said partnering with the school district and county made the proposal straightforward.

Sylvester moved to approve the staff recommendation to introduce and waive full reading of the ordinance; Mayor Pro Tem Klein Lopez seconded. The council adopted the motion on a 5-0 roll call.

Staff said the city’s role will be primarily to receive complaints and coordinate with Los Angeles Public Health, which the city contracts with for public-health services. Hoover said Los Angeles Public Health typically responds to filed complaints within two weeks and can return to confiscate or destroy product if retailers do not comply.

The ordinance text was introduced for first reading; the council did not take a final adoption vote on March 25. The city clerk recorded no public speakers during the ordinance public hearing and the council closed the hearing before deliberations.

Next steps: the council introduced the ordinance and will address subsequent readings or formal adoption in a future meeting.