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Council delays enforcement of kratom testing requirement for 60 days
Summary
Council extended by 60 days the enforcement deadline for Ordinance 3620’s required certificates of analysis for natural kratom products, citing supplier capacity and labeling challenges; other provisions of the ordinance remain in effect. Vote was unanimous.
The City of Washington on June 15 approved a 60‑day extension of the enforcement deadline for the certificate‑of‑analysis requirement in Ordinance 3620, which the council passed May 4 and which requires third‑party testing to certify that natural kratom products do not exceed prescribed alkaloid limits.
Alderperson Preston Martin explained that the extension applies only to the lot/lot‑number and batch‑testing requirement because suppliers have not been able to meet the timeline; he said other parts of the ordinance — including a ban on concentrated or synthetic kratom, an age‑21 access restriction, and labeling requirements — remain in effect and enforceable.
“If we don't extend this, we're effectively banning all natural kratom as well because this can't be done,” Martin said, and council voted unanimously to approve a 60‑day enforcement extension (motion by Martin; second by Moss). City staff said the extension is intended to provide time to identify a workable solution for batch and lot labeling and testing; if suppliers cannot comply after the extension council may consider further extensions or rescinding parts of the ordinance.
The extension does not change other enforcement provisions in Ordinance 3620 that the council previously approved.
