Starkville leaders officially move to ban Kratom sales within city limits
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville leaders have officially moved to ban the sale of kratom inside the city limits.
The decision came during the third public meeting on the issue.
where concerns over safety and enforcement took center stage.
After weeks of discussion, the Starkville Board of Aldermen approved the ban with a five‑to‑two vote.
Much of the debate focused on whether kratom should be treated as a natural supplement or a synthetic drug.
Police officials told the board that ambiguity in the law has made enforcement difficult.
The chief also pointed to concerns with testing and regulation, saying officers often face costly lab work just to determine what a product actually contains.
In the end, the board voted to ban all kratom products altogether, eliminating confusion for law enforcement.
“From a standpoint, the police department we had discussed earlier. You know the special cost when you do have separation, there you have lab cost, you have other things….that was removed tonight, we’re not gonna have to put $3,000 to $5000 on lab cost to make sure that the product is what they say it is. The marketing simply cannot be trusted. A lot of these brands, there’s not a lot of regulation on there,” said Chief Ballard.
City leaders say the ban is aimed at protecting public safety, especially in a college town like Starkville.
The ordinance will take effect after the required 30-day enforcement period
