STARKVILLE – During a public hearing Tuesday night at City Hall, Brandie Stribling told aldermen that an addiction to kratom pills made her husband “unrecognizable.”
“The effects on Bo have been heartbreaking and destructive,” she said. “He has become … withdrawn, refusing to eat or sleep, unwilling to engage with our family and exhibiting severe mood swings and hostility. His weight has plummeted. … Financially, our situation has deteriorated sharply. What started as a daily expense of $10 has ballooned to $300 to $400 per week.”
Stribling was one of three citizens to speak in favor of the board’s proposed ordinance to ban kratom, a product commonly sold in convenience stores as a pain relief or energy supplement, during the first public hearing on the matter.
Kratom is derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and is alleged to treat ailments ranging from minor pain to anxiety, depression and drug withdrawal symptoms, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for any medical use.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has listed kratom as a chemical of concern, citing potential addictive properties and reported side effects that can include hallucinations, seizures and weight loss.
The Federal Drug Administration has also recommended the DEA classify 7-Hydroxymitragynine, a byproduct of kratom commonly comprising synthetic versions of the product, as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. The FDA’s recommendation would not target natural kratom.
The proposed ordinance as it stands would ban the sale and use of kratom within city limits.
Emily Landrum, a family physician in Starkville, also spoke in favor of banning both synthetic and natural kratom, arguing that both products are “highly addictive, largely unregulated and not studied to any significant degree.”
Mike Sullivan said he also has a family member addicted to kratom, calling its effects “devastating, terrible and brutal.”
“I’m just sick and tired of kratom in Starkville, Mississippi,” he told the board. “It’s hurting people, big time, and it’s going to start killing people.”
Two residents spoke against the ordinance, suggesting the board narrow the scope of the ban to include 7-OH and synthetic kratom products, rather than natural kratom.
Sherry Owens, who said she has been using kratom to manage severe back pain for more than six years, said the product has helped ease her withdrawals from alcohol, and helped cure her of Hepatitis.
“It’s even gone now,” she said. “They said I would have that the rest of my life, and it’s gone. … I wish you all wouldn’t ban the whole leaf. I would hate for it to go on the black market.”
Vicky Hanson, who said she does not use kratom herself, said the product has helped manage severe pain and effects of post traumatic stress disorder for several neighbors and friends.
In addition to narrowing the scope of the ordinance to solely 7-OH products, Hanson also suggested speaking to the state legislator to add a consumption tax on the product to put the funds into drug rehabilitation programs.
“When you’re considering doing a full out ban on a product, you’re turning individuals into criminals overnight,” Hanson said. “You’re also removing a source of pain relief, anxiety relief, whatever that might be.”
Following the hearing, Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk said according to the Starkville Police Department, all available kratom products are synthetic or concentrated. She agreed the ordinance should be altered to exclude natural kratom.
“I would like to see us bifurcate it,” she said. “Ban the synthetic, the concentrated, the blends (and) allow the natural leaf kratom, which is not being sold here anyway, to stand alone for the moment. If it turns out to be a problem going forward, we can always revisit that and add it to the list.”
Sistrunk moved to tweak the proposed ordinance to exclude the natural product. Mayor Lynn Spruill said since it was only the first public hearing – not an “action” item – she would tweak a copy of the proposed ordinance, so the board could consider other options “when the time comes.”
The second public hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. April 7 at City Hall.
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