Tupelo joins growing list of Mississippi municipalities banning kratom
Stores have a thirty day grace period to get all products containing kratom off the shelves
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A lot of shelves and counter space inside Tupelo Smoke and Vape are filled with kratom products. But with the upcoming ban on the herbal supplement, all kratom products will soon be gone.
“It is a lot of product. I have a lot of customers really upset about that,” said McKenzie Ramsey, manager at Tupelo Smoke and Vape. She says kratom sales account for a big part of her daily business. And while the supplement is popular with customers, Ramsey says it can also be addictive.
“It is an addictive product, but I feel like it’s about the person. If you know you’re an addict, you shouldn’t take something you know will be addictive,” Ramsey said.
That is one of the main reasons behind the recent Tupelo City Council vote to ban the use, possession, or sale of kratom.
Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka says the council made the right decision.
“It is the number one reason people are seeking addiction treatment in the state of Mississippi is because of kratom. It does no good for anyone, no legitimate purpose for it, and we need to get it under control,” Chief Quaka said.
Tupelo joins more than thirty other cities and counties throughout Mississippi that ban or restrict the substance. Lee County is expected to take up the issue soon.
Businesses have a thirty-day grace period from the day the council voted on the ban to remove all products containing kratom from their shelves.
