More Orange County cities are cracking down on kratom, joining a growing list of municipalities banning the marketing and distribution of the drug.
Leaders in some cities are looking to ban only synthetic forms of kratom as advocates argue the natural version of the plant can provide people with improved energy and focus or help manage pain.
Officials in other cities are banning the sale of the substance altogether.
Kratom is a tropical evergreen plant native to Southeast Asia that has historically been used in its natural leaf form to treat ailments such as headaches, anxiety and opioid withdrawal.
A July 2025 report from the Food and Drug Administration found that newer products, often sold as powders, capsules or liquid extracts, are increasingly used for recreational purposes, producing euphoric effects.
A component of the leaf known as 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, has an opioid-like effect when taken in larger quantities. 7-OH is the highly-concentrated, synthetic component of the kratom leaf that can lead to addiction or overdose, according to the OC Health Care Agency.
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Leaders across the county have been considering banning the marketing of kratom toward children and the sale of the drug to residents under 21 years old.
[Read: More Orange County Cities Crack Down on Kratom]
Many leaders have been moving to ban only the synthetic, 7-OH version of kratom, allowing the natural form of kratom to be sold to residents 21 and older.
[Read: Los Alamitos Partially Bans Kratom After Concerns Over Access]
Cities like Los Alamitos, Anaheim, Buena Park, Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel have restricted the sales of kratom with more than 2% 7-OH.
Orange County cities such as Newport Beach, Dana Point, Tustin and Stanton have all completely banned kratom from being sold and distributed throughout each city.
[Read: More Orange County Cities Eye Kratom Bans]
Fullerton Looks to Ban Synthetic Kratom
City council members in Fullerton unanimously approved an initial review of a kratom ban that would prevent the sale of synthetic kratom products with more than 2% 7-OH during their meeting on April 21.
The ban would allow the sale of natural leaf products to customers at least 21 years old, and the new ordinance would also prohibit the marketing of kratom products to children.
The ban needs a second approval before it can go into effect.
Lieutenant Tim Petropulos from the Fullerton Police Department said kratom is being sold in the city in the form of tablets, crushed leaves and liquid forms.
He said the police department searched through the Orange County Coroner’s Office and found that within the last three years, 33 people in Orange County died with kratom in their system.
In most cases, the kratom was found in the people’s bodies alongside other drugs, Petropulos said. He also said one of those deaths was a Fullerton resident.
Mayor Fred Jung said it’s a timely ordinance.
“The FDA warns that 7-OH — which is the compound that we’re trying to eliminate and regulate the use of it — risks fatal overdose,” he said at the meeting. “Certainly that’s occurred here in our community.”
One resident who uses kratom for pain management thanked the council for not banning the substance outright and for recognizing some people use it for health purposes.
“A lot of us in the kratom community really want good regulation,” he said. “We really want this product to be regulated — to keep us safe, to keep it out of the hands of kids.”
Mission Viejo Bans Sale of All Kratom Products
In Mission Viejo, city council members voted unanimously to ban all kratom products, regardless of concentration, and any items marketed as containing kratom at their city council meeting on April 14. That vote came after an initial approval on March 24.
Resident Ed Arthur said that natural leaf kratom should still be legal.
“Years ago I had back surgery, and I have a bad shoulder and a bad back,” Arthur told Mission Viejo City Council members during their meeting on March 24. “I was prescribed opioids, and I didn’t want to take them. I found a natural leaf kratom 15 years ago and in the natural powdered form. It has been a god-sent for me.”
Councilmember Brian Goodell said that he didn’t want to jump the gun and ban something that people need, but he eventually voted to support the full ban.
“I am concerned that we might be throwing the baby out with the bath water and there might be people that do benefit from using the natural leaf form of the product,” Goodell said at the March meeting. “We have gotten several emails from people in the community that use it and rely on it.”
Federal officials have not approved kratom for any medical use, and the substance is not legally marketed in the U.S. as a food additive, dietary supplement or drug ingredient.
Despite the safety concerns that kratom has caused, it is also commonly used for treating pain, anxiety and mental health issues.
Councilmember Trish Kelley supported the ban of kratom for Mission Viejo’s youth.
“Anything that we would put out there that could be a danger to our young people, I can’t support having the availability like this in our city,” Kelley said. “As was noted, those who really do need it can order it online, but I don’t like having it at our local stores where our kids can get it.”
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.