Spokane City Council Approves Prohibition of Kraton Sales

Spokane City Council Approves Prohibition of Kraton Sales

Giacobbe Byrd, [email protected]

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 11:13 a.m.

During Monday's Legislative Session, the Spokane City Council approved an ordinance introduced by Mayor Lisa Brown that prohibits the sale and distribution of kratom within the City of Spokane limits. The ordinance, C36820, was adopted on a 6-1 vote.

"Spokane was the first city locally to introduce legislation like this, and now we are seeing other jurisdictions in our region follow our lead," said Mayor Lisa Brown. "This is a clear sign that kratom needs to be regulated. I want to thank the City Council for approving this ordinance, which will save lives and set a powerful example for other communities grappling with its harmful effects."

The legislation followed input from local public health advocates and the Spokane Police Department, who identified a ban as a necessary step to address concerns over the widespread distribution and availability of kratom.

Kratom is a psychoactive plant that contains alkaloids, including mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which have dose-dependent effects. At low levels, they act like stimulants, while at high levels, their effects are more like opioids and sedatives.

"Kratom is being sold in our community without federal or state regulation, standardized testing, or reliable labeling," said Public Safety and Community Health Committee Chair, Council Member Kate Telis. "Consumers have no clear way to know what they're buying, its potency, or its risks and interactions. Until there is rigorous research, consistent oversight, and transparent labeling, we cannot ignore the dangers and tragic consequences emerging nationwide. This ordinance protects public health by ensuring unregulated psychoactive substances are not sold without accountability or safeguards."

"It has become concerning to learn about the opioid-like effects from a substance that is available at a gas station," said Council Member Paul Dillon. "There's no regulation so this is an important step to address the risk kratom poses especially to our community's youth and I want to thank Mayor Brown and public health advocates for bringing this forward."

"As a teacher, it worries me that students can today purchase kratom and synthetics over the counter from convenience stores," said Council Member Zack Zappone. "This is particularly dangerous because we know kratom can be addictive, and we should not allow companies to market these products without serious research into the positive and negative effects that kratom or synthetic versions of kratom have on adults and our youth."

Ordinance C36820 now heads to Mayor Brown for review, who is expected to sign the ordinance. The ordinance will go into effect in 30 days after the Mayor signs the legislation.

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