Sarasota remains as the lone Florida county to have banned kratom
Sarasota was the first and – as of yet – only county in Florida that has banned the usage and selling of kratom, a Southeast Asian tea leaf used for its stimulating effects.
While kratom has had a long history of use in Southeast Asia, the use of kratom has become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s estimated that 11 to 15 million Americans consume kratom regularly.
In 2014, the Sarasota County Commission unanimously banned kratom as a “designer drug.”
In June 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB179, the Florida Kratom Consumer Protection Act. It prohibits the selling or giving of kratom to people under the age of 21.
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree that’s native to Southeast Asia. Consumption of its leaves produce stimulating effects in low doses and sedative effects in high doses, according to the DEA. It contains two major psychoactive ingredients, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine.
The Sarasota County Commission unanimously passed an ordinance in 2014 that banned kratom and synthetic cannabis. Users can face a fine of $250 per package or a second-degree misdemeanor charge. A store caught selling the drugs could be fined, have its Business Certificate of Occupancy revoked or be placed on probation for up to six months.
How is kratom used?
Kratom is mostly used by being ingested through a pill capsule or extract. The leaves can be dried or powdered to be ingested as a tea or the leaf can be chewed.
What risks are associated with kratom?
In September 2016, the DEA temporarily placed kratom on the list of Schedule I drugs, but it has since walked back its classification and instead listed it as a “drug of concern” on its website.
A Tampa Bay Times investigation found that more than 580 people in Florida have died from kratom-related overdoses over the past decade. Of those people, 46 overdosed solely on kratom.
“Nine in 10 people who died had a substance in their system that could be harmful when mixed with kratom, including common medications used to treat anxiety or depression,” the Tampa Bay Times’ investigation found.
The American Kratom Association said in a policy brief that deaths attributed to kratom by the FDA in the U.S. have been found to be from the mixture usage of multiple drugs and adulterated kratom products.
In its investigation, Tampa Bay Times’ reporters had 20 kratom products tested by researchers. They found that companies sell kratom without dosing instructions, leaving consumers to figure out dosing.
It’s used by people with opioid addictions as an alternative
The AKA has touted the safety of the substance, crediting its centuries-long usage in Southeast Asia.
“At higher serving sizes, kratom has been found by many to be an effective pain reliever for acute and chronic pain, and to wean off highly-addictive and potentially deadly opioid medications,” a policy brief from the AKA said.
However, the Tampa Bay Times Investigation found people with a documented history of drug use accounted for the majority of kratom-only overdoses with more than half of them who have misused opioids like oxycodone or heroin.