Grant County eyes ban on kratom sales, distribution
Commissioners will conduct Sept. 8 public hearing on proposed ordinance.
Updated
A sign advertising kratom products at a convenience store in downtown Ephrata. Photo by Randy Bracht
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners will hold a public hearing next week to consider a draft ordinance that would prohibit the sale or distribution of kratom products in unincorporated areas of the county.
Kratom is a psychoactive substance derived from trees native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves have long been used for their medicinal and stimulant properties, but they can also be processed into higher concentrations. Kratom products have typically been marketed as energy boosters and sold online and in gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops.
Grant County’s hearing is scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 11:30 a.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room at the courthouse in Ephrata. The hearing can also be viewed online and via audio.
The draft ordinance says the so-called “herbal supplements” often don’t clearly mark that the products contain kratom, their concentrations, or warnings about their potential side effects. The list includes nausea, agitation, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure, respiratory depression, sleepiness or unconsciousness, mood disorders, and hallucinations.
The draft, which has been vetted by the county prosecuting attorney’s office, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has documented that kratom can cause addiction. The risks to users — such as impairing drivers — can also put others in danger, authorities say.
Kratom products have been banned or regulated in at least 30 other countries and three dozen U.S. states. But “Washington State and the Federal government have failed to regulate kratom despite these well-documented risks,” noted the county’s draft ordinance.
In May, the Grant County Board of Health adopted a resolution that urged local governments to keep the products out of their communities, and supported legislation to ban them statewide.
Local health officials say the products are often marketed to look like treats, making them potentially appealing and accessible to kids if there is no mandated minimum age for purchase. In street slang, kratom is sometimes referred to as both “herbal speedball” and “gas station heroin.”
Ephrata is one of five cities and towns within the county which have already imposed similar bans on kratom sales and distribution. The other communities include George, Mattawa, Royal City, and Warden. The Moses Lake City Council recently adopted an ordinance which limits sales or distribution of kratom to persons age 21 and older. Health district staff was scheduled to make a presentation last month to Quincy city officials.
If enacted as proposed, violators of the county’s ordinance could be subject to a civil infraction or criminal prosecution. Potential fines range from $500 for a first offense to $2,000 for a third and any subsequent violations, all of which could be treated as misdemeanor criminal offenses with additional penalties.
The county draft does not specify who could be responsible for enforcement of the ordinance. Nor was it immediately known how many retailers might be affected in rural parts of the county.
Earlier this summer, Ephrata city council members approved a local ordinance which takes effect this month. Any violations are considered civil infractions that carry fines and the potential loss of a city-issued business license. During discussions in July, city officials indicated that notifications could be sent to potentially affected retailers so they were aware of the municipal ordinance prior to any enforcement efforts.
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Grant County eyes ban on kratom sales, distribution
Commissioners will conduct Sept. 8 public hearing on proposed ordinance.
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners will hold a public hearing next week to consider a draft ordinance that would prohibit the sale or distribution of kratom products in unincorporated areas of the county.
Kratom is a psychoactive substance derived from trees native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves have long been used for their medicinal and stimulant properties, but they can also be processed into higher concentrations. Kratom products have typically been marketed as energy boosters and sold online and in gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops.
Grant County’s hearing is scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 11:30 a.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room at the courthouse in Ephrata. The hearing can also be viewed online and via audio.
The draft ordinance says the so-called “herbal supplements” often don’t clearly mark that the products contain kratom, their concentrations, or warnings about their potential side effects. The list includes nausea, agitation, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure, respiratory depression, sleepiness or unconsciousness, mood disorders, and hallucinations.
The draft, which has been vetted by the county prosecuting attorney’s office, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has documented that kratom can cause addiction. The risks to users — such as impairing drivers — can also put others in danger, authorities say.
Kratom products have been banned or regulated in at least 30 other countries and three dozen U.S. states. But “Washington State and the Federal government have failed to regulate kratom despite these well-documented risks,” noted the county’s draft ordinance.
In May, the Grant County Board of Health adopted a resolution that urged local governments to keep the products out of their communities, and supported legislation to ban them statewide.
Local health officials say the products are often marketed to look like treats, making them potentially appealing and accessible to kids if there is no mandated minimum age for purchase. In street slang, kratom is sometimes referred to as both “herbal speedball” and “gas station heroin.”
Ephrata is one of five cities and towns within the county which have already imposed similar bans on kratom sales and distribution. The other communities include George, Mattawa, Royal City, and Warden. The Moses Lake City Council recently adopted an ordinance which limits sales or distribution of kratom to persons age 21 and older. Health district staff was scheduled to make a presentation last month to Quincy city officials.
If enacted as proposed, violators of the county’s ordinance could be subject to a civil infraction or criminal prosecution. Potential fines range from $500 for a first offense to $2,000 for a third and any subsequent violations, all of which could be treated as misdemeanor criminal offenses with additional penalties.
The county draft does not specify who could be responsible for enforcement of the ordinance. Nor was it immediately known how many retailers might be affected in rural parts of the county.
Earlier this summer, Ephrata city council members approved a local ordinance which takes effect this month. Any violations are considered civil infractions that carry fines and the potential loss of a city-issued business license. During discussions in July, city officials indicated that notifications could be sent to potentially affected retailers so they were aware of the municipal ordinance prior to any enforcement efforts.