TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Justin Clifton, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Isaac Bravo, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:
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Approval of Ordinance No. 629-26 Regulating the Sale or Distribution of Kratom and Synthetic 7-OH
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ABSTRACT
Council Member DeForest received consensus from City Council to direct staff to present an ordinance banning the sale, distribution and possession of synthetic kratom and banning the sale, distribution and possession of natural kratom for anyone under 21 years of age.
City Council reached consensus directing staff to present the attached ordinance after a series of meetings on the topic between December, 2025 and February, 2026.
RECOMMENDATION
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Conduct the first reading and introduce Ordinance No. 629-26 entitled: An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Amending the Murrieta Municipal Code by Adding New Chapter 9.40, Regulating the Sale, Distribution, and Possession of Kratom and Synthetic 7-OH.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On December 16, 2025, Council Member DeForest received consensus from City Council to direct staff to present an ordinance banning the sale, distribution and possession of kratom within City limits.
On January 20, 2026, staff presented City Council with a proposed ordinance to ban the sale and distribution of kratom. During that meeting, Mayor Levell introduced a letter from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) addressing kratom. It was not initially clear to staff exactly what implications the letter from CDPH had on the legality of the sale and possession of Kratom and the proposed City Ordinance. The initial analysis led staff to recommend that Council refrain from adopting an ordinance banning kratom.
On February 3, 2026, staff presented additional information making clear that the letter from CDPH concluded that kratom was not approved as a food additive or supplement. Based on this clarification, staff wi...
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