Supervisors Adopt Ordinance Banning Kratom
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COFFEEVILLE – Yalobusha County supervisors voted Monday to adopt an ordinance banning the sale and possession of a substance known as kratom in the county’s unincorporated areas, joining a growing number of Mississippi counties that have restricted the herbal product because of its opioid-like effects.
The ordinance, approved unanimously during the board’s Nov. 3 meeting at the Coffeeville courthouse, will take effect on Dec. 3. Sheriff Jerimaine Gooch started notifying convenience stores in the county on Tuesday about the new policy.
Board President Cayce Washington said the topic came to the county’s attention after local court officials raised concerns.
“I was approached by a judge on this,” Washington said. “I don’t know anything about it, but apparently it is causing some havoc in the legal world.”
The new law makes it illegal to use, purchase, possess, distribute, or sell kratom or any related compounds outside the corporate limits of Water Valley, Coffeeville, and Oakland. It also authorizes law enforcement to confiscate and destroy the substance if found in violation of the ordinance.
Kratom, derived from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree native to Southeast Asia, acts as a stimulant at low doses and produces sedative, opioid-like effects at higher doses, according to the Mayo Clinic and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is often sold in powder, capsule, or liquid extract form and marketed as a natural supplement for pain or anxiety, but it is not approved by the FDA. Federal health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have linked kratom to dependency, seizures, liver damage, and, in rare cases, overdose deaths when used with other drugs.
Under the ordinance, anyone convicted of violating the ban faces a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. The measure exempts medical use under a licensed physician’s direction and allows for anesthesia administered by a medical or dental professional.
The move places Yalobusha among more than 30 Mississippi cities and counties that have enacted local kratom restrictions in recent years, according to Mississippi Today, SuperTalk Mississippi News, and the Mississippi Association of Supervisors. Nearby jurisdictions with similar bans include Union, Alcorn, Tishomingo, and Itawamba counties, as well as the cities of Oxford, New Albany, and Pontotoc, based on a 2025 review of local ordinances compiled by Mississippi Today.
State lawmakers also tightened regulations this year, passing legislation that restricts kratom sales to individuals 21 and older and requires labeling of alkaloid content, according to SuperTalk Mississippi News and reporting by Mississippi Today. Counties and cities may still impose stricter local rules under Mississippi law.
Supervisors cited health and safety as the driving reasons behind Yalobusha’s local ordinance.
“This is about protecting our citizens,” Washington said. “When something new comes along that mimics an illegal drug and starts causing problems, we want to stay ahead of it.”
The ordinance was introduced by District 4 Supervisor Eddie Harris, seconded by District 2 Supervisor Ken Rogers, and adopted unanimously by the full board.
