The Hillsborough County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to prohibit the sale and distribution of kratom products containing concentrated or chemically altered compounds, including 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH.
The 7-0 vote followed about two hours of public comment, with more than 50 speakers supporting and opposing the proposed restrictions.
The decision amends the county's existing synthetic drug ordinance to cover kratom products that have been chemically altered or concentrated, as well as synthetic derivatives such as MGM-15 and MGM-16.”
“This is the first step in taking care of something that is hidden in a way, out in plain sight,” Commissioner Chris Boles said.
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Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain compounds that can have stimulant effects at lower doses and opioid-like effects at higher ones.
Manufacturers also produce concentrated or chemically altered versions of those compounds, including 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a potent opioid-like substance that occurs naturally in only trace amounts in the plant.
Products containing concentrated or synthesized 7-OH are sold in convenience stores, gas stations, smoke shops and online, often as tablets, gummies, capsules or liquid shots.
The ordinance exempts kratom in its natural, unaltered form, which is commonly consumed in teas, smoothies, powders and capsules.”
Many speakers told of how the natural form helped people manage pain or overcome dependencies on alcohol and other drugs.
Joseph Petri, a former CEO of a Palm Beach County substance abuse treatment center, was concerned lawmakers would conflate the risks of synthetic products with natural kratom.
“What I learned helping people get sober was that just about every single family knows somebody with a substance use disorder, some problem with drugs or alcohol. I'm here for that person right now. I'm here to prevent death. I'm here because kratom is part of a solution that might help us avoid the worst of a fourth wave of the opioid epidemic,” Petri said.
“Kratom is not a product, right? That's the distinction. If you go to a gas station and you pull out a tab or a gel pack or a gummy, that's not kratom anymore. Leaf – that is kratom, and that is part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
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Several people supported the ordinance, and others wanted the natural plant banned as well. Most shared emotional accounts of family members or friends who had suffered addiction or died after using kratom products.
Cade MacDonald died in January at age 20 due to acute toxicity caused by kratom, and his twin brother, Colt, became addicted to natural kratom after drinking it in tea. Colt, his sister, Olivia, and their mother, Dana, asked the board to remove the natural form.
“People may argue it's safe because it helps people come off of harder drugs or manage chronic pain. But if this substance is being promoted as a tool for recovery, why is it being sold along candy bars and energy drinks in our gas stations?” Olivia MacDonald said.
“These aren't people seeking out drug dealers or illicit substances, they're often young adults walking into a convenience store that happens to be the lion's den of an industry that profits from their vulnerability.”
After listening to the public comment, Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda said she would be in favor of a total ban.
“Doctors are saying this a different type of beast,” she said. “It just really went on and on. We heard these stories that were really just heartbreaking, stories of people that have lost so much life, family members, friends from using this.”
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The ordinance, which covers unincorporated areas of the county, prohibits production, manufacturing, distribution, sale, display for sale, marketing and advertising. Violations are misdemeanors, with penalties of up to 60 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.
Florida law has prohibited the sale of kratom products to anyone under 21 since 2023, but it does not otherwise broadly restrict the products.
In August, Florida placed 7-OH and several related compounds on its Schedule I controlled-substance list under a temporary emergency rule. The rule expires June 30, 2027, and prohibits unauthorized possession and distribution of the substances.
Hillsborough commissioners wanted to establish a permanent prohibition.
Manufacturers have also altered chemical formulations or substituted related compounds to get around existing restrictions, prompting regulators to expand the lists of prohibited substances.
