Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Kratom Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public callers and coroner press Kootenai County commissioners on kratom: ban, regulate or target synthetics?
Summary
At a June 23 board meeting, bereaved family members, long‑term consumers and the county coroner clashed over a draft kratom ordinance. Commissioners agreed to share coroner data with cities and consider a public hearing to decide whether to pursue a ban or a regulatory approach focused on synthetic, concentrated products.
Kootenai County commissioners heard more than an hour of public comment and a coroner’s presentation on June 23 as they weighed whether to ban kratom, regulate it, or target highly concentrated synthetic products.
Gina Rogers, a nine‑year kratom consumer and North Idaho small‑business owner, urged the board to focus rules on “the products creating that concern rather than treating all kratom products as though they are identical.” She told commissioners concentrated or chemically manipulated 7‑hydroxymitragynine products are driving most safety problems and said she supports age restrictions, testing and accurate labeling.
Several speakers urged more restrictive action. Kira Cates, who called in from a phone line, said her 23‑year‑old daughter died from a mitragynine overdose and warned that banning only 7‑OH could leave high‑potency extracts on the market. “If we only ban 7‑OH, we risk sending the dangerous message to the public that all other products are safe, and they are not,” Cates said.
Susan Efford described the 2021 death of her son, Matthew Eller, and urged an outright ban on all forms of kratom, citing autopsy and toxicology findings she said showed mitragynine as the only substance. Other callers, including Shannon Lee, a health‑care worker, and Libby Brown, an advocate in recovery, urged regulation that protects access to natural leaf kratom while removing adulterated or concentrated products.
Dr. Duke Johnson, who identified himself as coroner, presented county trends and research the board had not previously reviewed. He told the commissioners his office recorded multiple kratom‑associated deaths in recent years and said he had counted three deaths in 2021, one in 2022, one in 2023, two in 2024 and four in 2025; he said in at least one 2025 case kratom was the only substance detected. Dr. Duke also cited external sources that, he said, estimate naturally occurring 7‑OH at low percentages and that some manufactured products can approach very high concentrations; he said some analyses show 7‑OH can be many times as potent as morphine.
Commissioners discussed whether to pursue an all‑out county ban or a more targeted regulatory approach. Several commissioners said success likely depends on whether cities within Kootenai County adopt similar actions. Commissioner Duncan recommended preparing a document summarizing the coroner’s data and other evidence and distributing it to city councils so they can weigh the options. The board agreed to coordinate with city officials and to consider scheduling a public hearing on the draft ordinance.
No ordinance was adopted; the board directed staff to compile the coroner’s evidence and related documents and report back to the commissioners and the affected cities. That information packet and any subsequent public hearing will guide whether the county pursues a ban, targeted regulation of synthetic concentrates, or a different approach.
