A DeSoto County kratom ban is a step closer. At their Monday, Oct. 19, meeting, the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors asked board attorney Adam Emerson to draft an ordinance that would ban kratom sales in the unincorporated parts of the county, according to the Daily Memphian.
The board did not adopt a ban on Monday. Supervisors will take a final vote after the draft ordinance comes back to them, and no date for that vote has been announced.
What the DeSoto County kratom ban would cover
Because the board of supervisors governs only county land outside city limits, the proposed ordinance would apply in unincorporated communities, not inside Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake, Hernando or Walls. Each city would have to act on its own, or the state would have to step in, for a ban to reach stores inside municipal limits.
Supervisor Robert Foster, who placed the kratom discussion on the Oct. 19 agenda, supports the ordinance. He said he wants to see the draft language before the final vote, the Daily Memphian reported.
Here is where things stand:
Who: DeSoto County Board of Supervisors
What: The board attorney was asked to draft an ordinance banning kratom sales
Where: Unincorporated DeSoto County only
Next step: The board reviews the draft and takes a final vote at a future meeting (date not yet set)
Why kratom is on local agendas
Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. It is sold in many gas stations, vape shops and smoke shops as powders, capsules, drinks and tablets. Some products are concentrated or synthetic forms of the plant’s compounds, and those have drawn growing concern from health officials and law enforcement.
Pressure has been building in North Mississippi. Earlier this month, the mayors of Southaven and Olive Branch called on state leaders to ban kratom statewide. In September, two University of Mississippi students died in Oxford, and federal prosecutors later charged a store clerk and his son with selling suspected kratom derivatives tied to the deaths. Oxford already has a city ban on kratom sales.
What comes next
Once Emerson finishes the draft, it is expected to return to the board for review and a vote. The board of supervisors meets at the DeSoto County Administration Building in Hernando, and its meetings are open to the public. Residents who want to weigh in can contact their district supervisor before the vote.
DeSoto County News will report on the ordinance’s language and the final vote once they are available.
