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Mission Viejo council introduces ordinance to ban sale and distribution of kratom
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Summary
The City Council voted to introduce an ordinance that would add Chapter 11.26 to the municipal code to prohibit sale, distribution and advertising of kratom products; council members debated public-health risks and residents’ reports of therapeutic use before the motion passed for first reading.
The Mission Viejo City Council introduced an ordinance on March 24 that would ban the sale, distribution and advertisement of kratom products within the city and schedule adoption at the council’s next regular meeting.
Planning and Economic Development Manager Cliff Jones told the council the proposed ordinance would add Chapter 11.26 to the Mission Viejo Municipal Code and close a local loophole that vendors use by labeling kratom "not for human consumption." "Kratom is not approved by the FDA as a food, drug or dietary supplement," Jones said, and advised the council that products can contain contaminants and that higher, regular doses carry addiction and overdose risks.
Two residents who addressed the council offered contrasting perspectives. Michael Rusher, a longtime Mission Viejo resident, asked whether recent state actions—he cited a California Department of Public Health directive dated Oct. 24, 2025, and Alcoholic Beverage Control guidance removing kratom from some retail shelves—made a local ban redundant. "If this is redundant legislation, it would seem we could save time and paperwork by pulling the item," Rusher said.
By contrast, Ed Arthur, who said he is a 78-year-old resident of Irvine and a long-time user of natural-leaf kratom for chronic pain, urged the council to differentiate between synthetic concentrates and the traditional leaf: "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater," Arthur said. He described personal pain relief from natural kratom and asked the city to target more-potent synthesized derivatives.
Council discussion considered both sides. Councilmember Kelly said the city had previously highlighted the risks of potent kratom derivatives at community events and supported removing retail availability to protect youth, while other members urged careful review so residents who rely on natural leaf products would retain access through online purchases.
Councilmember Kelly moved to introduce the ordinance by title only, waiving further reading and scheduling adoption for the next regular meeting; Mayor Wendy Bucknam seconded the motion and the council carried the introduction. The transcript records the motion as introduced; the adoption vote is set for the next meeting.
Cliff Jones told the council staff would prepare the ordinance language and implementation details, including enforcement approach (likely complaint-based) if the council adopts the measure. The council did not adopt the ordinance on March 24; it introduced the ordinance for first reading and set a date for final adoption.
