Mount Vernon City Council bans crypto kiosks, sale of kratom products

MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon City Council approved Wednesday ordinances that ban the sale of kratom and cryptocurrency kiosks in the city limits.

The ordinance regarding kratom adds a chapter to the city’s municipal code that prohibits any person or organization from selling, distributing or advertising any kratom products. 

The ordinance aims to protect Mount Vernon residents, particularly youth and vulnerable populations, from kratom products, according to city staff. 

Any party that violates the new code will be fined $250 for each day of violation and may have its business license or registration revoked.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, kratom is an herbal substance that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects. Kratom products have been sold at many retail locations in Mount Vernon.

City Attorney Kevin Rogerson, who presented the ordinance to the council, said Wednesday that kratom is not regulated at the state or federal levels.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that 7-hydroxymitragynine, a naturally occurring alkaloid in the kratom plant, is a dangerous substance, according to the ordinance passed Wednesday. 

Also Wednesday, the Drug Enforcement Administration placed three products related to 7-hydroxymitragynine in schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act for two years.