Label
Kratom as Controlled Substance
Toledo City Council
Sponsors: Melden, Williams, Hobbs
Title
Urging the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to Classify Kratom (Mitragyna Speciosa) as a Schedule I Controlled Substance.
Summary
WHEREAS, Kratom, also known by its botanical name Mitragyna Speciosa, is a psychoactive substance derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and is currently unregulated in the State of Ohio; and
WHEREAS, Kratom contains two key alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, which interact with opioid receptors in the brain and can cause sedation, euphoria, and dependence similar to traditional opioids; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any medical use for Kratom and has issued several public health advisories warning consumers of its risks, including side effects such as seizures, hallucinations, liver damage, and respiratory depression; and
WHEREAS, the Drug Enforcement Administration previously identified Kratom as a "drug of concern" and considered emergency scheduling due to its high potential for abuse, risk to public safety, and lack of accepted medical use; and
WHEREAS, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy began proceedings in 2019 to schedule Kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance, indicating its recognition of Kratom's potential danger, but did not take steps to finalize this action; and
WHEREAS, an increasing number of municipalities and states, including Alabama, Indiana, and Wisconsin, have taken legislative action to band or tightly regulate Kratom; and
WHEREAS, the unregulated sale and use of Kratom products, often marketed as "natural supplements", poses a direct threat to vulnerable populations including adolescents and individuals in recovery from substance abuse disorders; and
WHEREAS, the classification of Kratom as a Schedule I drug under Ohio law would prohibit its possession, sale, and distribution thereby protecting Toledo's residents.
NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved by...
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