Litchfield Council Bans the Sale of Kratom Citywide

Litchfield City Council Meeting | May 21, 2026

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, May 21, 2026, unanimously banned the sale of kratom within the city, acting on a request from a regional recovery group that described the unregulated herbal substance as a growing public-health threat to residents and young people.

Kratom Ban Key Points:

• The council voted 7-0 to add Section 130.06 to Chapter 130 (General Offenses) of the city code, prohibiting kratom sales in Litchfield.
• The proposal was brought forward by the Montgomery and Macoupin County ROSS group, whose representative said kratom acts on the brain’s opioid receptors and can cause dependence and withdrawal.
• The ordinance bans only the sale of kratom; residents who want the product would have to purchase it outside the city.
• Police Chief Carpenter, who said he banned kratom years ago while serving as a chief elsewhere, told the council he supports the measure and will notify retailers directly.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, May 21, 2026, unanimously approved an ordinance banning the sale of kratom within the city, adding Section 130.06 to Chapter 130 of the municipal code under Title XIII, General Offenses. Alderperson Bert Holloway made the motion, which was seconded by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt and passed 7-0, with Alderperson Dwayne Gerl absent.

The ordinance grew out of a request from the Montgomery and Macoupin County ROSS group. Holloway thanked the organization for bringing the issue forward and helping craft the measure before inviting its representative, Elise Shown, who said she works with a recovery program at the Macoupin County Public Health Department, to address the council.

Shown told the council that kratom, an herbal product derived from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree, is frequently sold in gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores, giving consumers the impression that it is natural and safe. “It is not a harmless product,” she said, describing it as a substance that acts on the body’s opioid receptors and, at high doses, can produce sedative and depressant effects similar to opioids. She said documented side effects include hallucination, agitation, psychosis, aggression, liver problems and, in some cases, death.

Shown said she was especially concerned about youth exposure and about adults who turn to kratom believing it can help them manage anxiety or pain or taper off opioids, only to become dependent on the substance itself. She cited a report attributed to an epidemiologist in Tazewell County indicating that kratom was involved in six overdose deaths in that county in 2023 — about 19% of overdose deaths there that year. She compared the rise of kratom to earlier waves of synthetic cannabinoids and “bath salts,” which she said were sold legally until communities began experiencing serious medical emergencies.

Other Communities Cited as Precedent

Shown said multiple Illinois communities — including Edwardsville, Jerseyville and East Peoria — have already banned or restricted kratom sales, and she said two states had recently classified the substance as a Schedule I controlled substance. She urged the council to act locally, arguing that existing state law only bars sales to minors under 18. “Local measures have proven to be the most effective way to protect citizens,” she said.

City Administrator Breann Vazquez said the ordinance bans the sale of kratom within Litchfield, meaning a resident seeking the product would have to buy it elsewhere. A retailer found selling kratom after the ban would face an ordinance violation, she said.

Police Chief Carpenter, who recently joined the department, added that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for medical use and warns consumers against using it. “I kind of went down this road about eight years ago” as a chief in another community, Carpenter said. “We looked into it and we banned it. So I’m all for it.” Asked how the city would enforce the ban, Carpenter said he would visit the businesses he believes are selling kratom, provide them a copy of the ordinance and follow up — the same approach he said he used previously, when retailers complied after being notified.

The ban takes effect as part of the city code’s general offenses provisions. Council members did not set a separate effective date during the meeting.