CHESTERFIELD 鈥 The City of Chesterfield has approved laws restricting the sale of both kratom or hemp-derived THC intoxicants to anyone younger than 21, becoming the first city in the 51黑料 region to regulate both products.
The Chesterfield City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve the measures, citing incidents elsewhere in the region of children and teens becoming ill after consuming hemp-derived cannabis products and deaths attributed to kratom use in recent years.
Officials decided to enact the law 鈥減roactively鈥 after residents raised concerns about advertisements for kratom in storefronts and a vendor applied for city approval to install a vending machine that would sell both kratom and hemp-derived intoxicants, City Administrator Mike Geisel said.
鈥淲e just don鈥檛 think these products are suitable for, and shouldn鈥檛 be sold to, juveniles under the age of 21,鈥 City Administrator Mike Geisel said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e treating it like cigarettes and alcohol.鈥
People are also reading…
The new laws makes Chesterfield, a west 51黑料 County suburb of about 49,300 residents, the third local government in the region to regulate kratom. Neither kratom nor hemp-derived intoxicants are regulated at the state or federal level and can be found for sale 鈥 as powder, in capsules, taffies and extracts 鈥 at smoke shops, gas stations and convenience stores in addition to vendors that specialize in selling either or both types of product.
David Jadwin, who owns The Green Dragon CBD with his son, said their stores in Chesterfield and St. Peters already limit sale of either hemp-derived intoxicants and kratom to people 21 and up and require customers to show a valid ID.
鈥淭his is long overdue,鈥 said Jadwin, whose store in Chesterfield opened five years ago.
Kratom is a plant grown in Southeast Asia that affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine. It is often used as a dietary supplement for pain relief and a natural alternative to treat opioid withdrawal, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other health conditions.
In early 2019, three people died in the 51黑料 region from too much 鈥渕itragynine,鈥 a natural substance derived from the leaves of kratom, public health officials found. The findings enraged kratom enthusiasts and owners of stores popping up across the region.
St. Charles County that year barred the sale of kratom products to anyone younger than 18. 51黑料 County in 2020 barred the sale of kratom to anyone younger than 21.
In 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson vetoed legislation that would have brought regulations to the sale of kratom that would have barred sales to anyone younger than 21.
Chesterfield ordinance allows an exception for selling kratom to those under 21 years of age if the product is prescribed to them by a licensed health care provider.
Hemp-derived intoxicants refer to THC products made from hemp, not marijuana, and are therefore unregulated in Missouri or at the federal level. Products containing it can be sold to all ages from any kind of a store. The Farm Bill of 2018, intended to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp, legally separated hemp and its extracts from marijuana, giving the green light for people to legally make THC and other cannabinoids from hemp using various chemicals and heat.
In March, six elementary school students in the Riverview Gardens School District, at an elementary school in unincorporated 51黑料 County, were sent home after eating hemp-derived cannabis products.
Missouri lawmakers in recent years have considered limiting sales of hemp-derived products to state-licensed marijuana dispensaries or barring the sale of such products to anyone younger than 21 years old. Proponents pointed to cases of illness from kids and teens ingesting synthetic cannabinoids, but opponents say the regulations would unfairly advantage the legal marijuana industry.
Jadwin said both kratom and hemp-derived products are safe for use in moderation and that his store takes measures to ensure the products are safe for use and staff are trained on advising customers about proper dosages.
鈥淲e have always done those things, which is why we support the ordinances,鈥 he said. 鈥淥ther stores that might carry kratom may have employees who aren鈥檛 trained or have that knowledge.鈥
While marijuana and hemp are similar plants, federal law makes a distinction between marijuana, which is grown for high THC content, and hemp, defined by its low content. But since Congress passed the 2018 farm bill authorizing the growing of hemp nationwide, there鈥檚 been an unforeseen consequence. People exploiting what they see as a loophole in the law have taken hemp, extracted a non-intoxicating compound called CBD and chemically altered it into various types of impairing THC. Chemically derived THC has wound up in candies, vape oils and other products sold in gas stations, convenience stores and online.聽
