How do you regulate the sale of a substance that might be harmful to people’s health. . .but might not?
The City Council wrestled with that question Monday when it debated passing an ordinance that would restrict the sale in Kewanee of two substances, kratom and tianeptine.
Both of those substances are said by some to have beneficial properties, but others say they pose a health threat if not used properly.
Police Chief Stephen Kijanowski has asked the council to pass an ordinance regulating the sale of both of these substances. He told the council that when police officers surveyed local businesses that might be selling the products, they found none were selling tianeptine but a few offered products containing kratom.
While no one spoke in support of tianeptine at Monday’s meeting, there was input supporting kratom from AllIson Smith, representing a national organization that advocates the sale and use of the substance.
Smith answered council members’ questions over an Internet hookup. She said there are two forms of kratom, a tea-like preparation of dried leaves and a much stronger version which comes in pill form.
Some people claim medicinal benefits from the tea form of the drug, such as increased energy or pain relief. No cases of adverse reactions from that version have been reported, Smith said.
She said 23 million Americans use kratom tea every day with no ill effects.
But the more-concentrated form poses more danger, Smith said, and some users of it have had problems.
Kijanowski said it was the pill form of kratom that officers found for sale locally.
He offered two versions of his ordinance, one which banned the sale of any kratom product and another that allowed the tea form but banned sales of the more-concentrated pills.
Councilman Adam Cernovich asked if kratom and tianeptine should be regulated at the local level, when there are no state or federal laws regulating them.
The council tabled the ordinance.
Mayor Gary Moore said he wanted more information on kratom before voting on the ordinance. Smith said she could provide the results of “17 or 18” studies that had been done of the effects of the substance.
Moore also asked for public input on the kratom question.
He said he wished more Kewaneeans would share their views on matters the council is considering.
Moore said, “The most public input we’ve ever had was on chickens,” referring to a proposed ordinance allowing and regulating keeping of chickens in the city limits.
