Deadly gas station drug restricted by SoCal city amid DEA crackdown

Irvine is joining a growing list of Orange County cities cracking down on synthetic kratom products, as federal regulators consider classifying the drug as a Schedule I controlled substance.The Irvine City Council approved an ordinance imposing stricter regulations on the sale and distribution of synthetic kratom.Under the new rules, natural kratom products can only be sold to customers 21 and older.The ordinance also establishes potency limits, banning the sale and distribution of kratom products containing more than 2% of a compound called  7-hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH.Kratom comes from a plant native to Southeast Asia, whose leaves are typically dried and consumed for their stimulant or sedative effects, depending on the dosage.

In smaller amounts, the substance can produce effects similar to caffeine.However, its compound, 7-OH, can produce opioid-like effects, particularly when its concentration is artificially increased.Supporters of kratom argue that the plant offers an alternative to potentially addictive prescription painkillers, while critics have raised concerns about the risks associated with concentrated synthetic products.As a result, some local governments have moved to prohibit synthetic kratom, while others have pursued broader bans on the substance altogether.Fountain Valley approved a synthetic kratom ban earlier this year, while Dana Point and Garden Grove were also among the cities that considered similar restrictions.Cities like Los Alamitos, Anaheim, Buena Park, Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel, have prohibited the sale of kratom products containing more than 2% 7-OH.Newport Beach, Dana Point, Tustin and Stanton have gone further, adopting bans on the sale and distribution of all kratom products within their city limits.Irvine’s ordinance also requires retailers to verify customers’ ages before selling kratom products and prohibits the sale and distribution of synthetic kratom within city limits.The new regulations also carry criminal...