Iowa City Update: Councilor Will Advocate for Regulation Instead of Ban

On Tuesday, October 1st, Iowa City will consider a ban on kratom. But one city councilor, announced that he will advocate for regulations on the sale of kratom, rather than an outright ban.

The ordinance would be a ban on kratom sales within Iowa City limits only. Residents would be free to purchase and possess kratom in nearby cities or online and would not be subject to criminalization for doing so.

The proposed ordinance would make it "unlawful to sell, advertise for sale, offer for sale, or distribute, directly or indirectly, any kratom product, or item labeled as a kratom product, in the City".

Councilor Shawn Harmsen told Iowa City Press-Citizen that he did not have a problem with adult possession of kratom, but with advertising and availability in local shops.

Councilor Andrew Dunn instead wants to place regulations on the sale of kratom, instead of an outright ban. Dunn told The Daily Iowan, “As I’ve discussed with business owners and people that utilize kratom for harm reduction, I’ve come to determine an all-or-nothing approach is not necessarily the best solution."

The Iowa City Council had announced in August that it may include a proposal to ban the sale of kratom in its upcoming meeting.

The ban is part of a larger push by the council to place limits on tobacco and vape shops. The council announced plans to place a cap at 55 permits to operate tobacco and vape shops in city limits. It wants to adopt rules for zoning, so that the shops are not located near schools.