The sale of products prepared from kratom leaves, commonly found at quick marts and gas stations, is prohibited to those under 21 in Lake Zurich and will be banned entirely Jan. 1.
Bloomberg/Dimas Ardian
Lake Zurich has joined several other communities in banning the sale of unregulated Delta-8 and Kratom products commonly found in quick marts, gas stations and smoke/vape shops.
Village officials say the unregulated products are being sold at these establishments, which also sell liquor and traditional tobacco products. Enacting mandatory tobacco retail licensing essentially bans selling the unregulated products.
Selling Delta-8 and Kratom products to anyone under 21 now is banned, effective immediately, and businesses are prohibited from placing orders for more of those products. A total ban starts Jan. 1.
The approved ordinance also prohibits the sale of tobacco and/or vape products without a village tobacco dealer’s license, which will cost $200 per year.
The measure was advanced by Trustee Marc Spacone, a middle school principal. He said state legislators “dropped the ball” by considering — but not approving — a bill to regulate the products.
“I saw it as an opportunity to make a statement on these products locally,” Spacone said. The products are dangerous, he said, and the intent is to limit children’s access to them.
Letters were sent to all tobacco retailers regarding the proposed ordinance, and a kratom industry group contacted the village. However, no one opposed the ordinance at Monday’s meeting.
In a statement, Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said the products pose a danger to children; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reported serious adverse events by people who have used them.
“Retailers support a clear regulatory structure that will ensure customers know what they are consuming and keep these products out of the hands of children,” he said.
Delta-8 is a THC-derived product with a psychoactive ingredient found in the cannabis sativa plant. The product has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for use “in any context” and should be kept away from children and pets, according to the agency.
It can be made with unsafe household chemicals in uncontrolled, unsanitary settings, and it has been known to cause hallucinations, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, confusion and loss of consciousness. There are no age restrictions on purchasing it, according to the village.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. According to the FDA, it often is used to self-medicate for pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety and depression, and other conditions. According to the agency, there are no drug products containing kratom or its two main chemical components that are sold legally in the United States.
The products are not regulated by the FDA or any other agency, according to the village, and there is concern with retailers selling intoxicating products without government oversight or safety controls.
Poison control centers are receiving thousands of exposure cases nationally each year related to Delta-8 and Kratom products, some of those for people younger than 18, Spacone said.
Last November, Antioch was the first Lake County community to ban sale of the products.
Antioch police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said the department continues to monitor and are able to update the ordinance as needed.
The village has been ensuring compliance through strictly enforced checks, Guttschow said, and violations have resulted in substantial fines and suspensions of the business’ license to sell liquor and tobacco products.