Fresno City Councilmembers Thursday approved an ordinance banning kratom sales in the city. Those caught doing so can be fined $1,000 and spend up to a year in jail.

The decision comes after Fresno County supervisors amended a similarly total ban on the opioid-like plant that can act as both a stimulant and sedative.

Councilmember Nick Richardson voiced a “strong” no against the ban. Beyond that, no council discussion occurred. The ban will take place after 30 days.

Kratom entered nationwide discussion after deaths caused by the plant made news and federal and state agencies began mulling bans. Proponents of the supplement, however, say that those deaths are linked to a synthesized form.

“I’m willing to bet most of you haven’t heard of kratom until recently,” said Allison Smith, director of government affairs with the Global Kratom Coalition. “And that’s because there are certain bad actors who are taking an alkaloid from kratom. They are concentrating it and enhancing into powerful substances.”

Smith and others advocated for a ban on the synthesized form.

Natural Kratom More Like Caffeine: Narcotic Officers Association

Smith said that 3 million people in the state use kratom. Bans sought by the Food & Drug Administration do not target the natural leaf product, which can act similarly to caffeine in small doses. In higher doses, it can act more like a sedative.

The California Assembly is also seeking restrictions, prohibiting sales of all kinds of kratom to people younger than 21 years.

Ryan Sherman, legislative advocate for the California Narcotic Officers’ Association, praised the city’s ban but said that his group doesn’t see an issue with the natural form.

“The natural (form) it’s more like caffeine,” Sherman said. “We don’t see the big issues we’ve seen in kratom that we’ve seen in 7-OH.”

7-OH is the name for the synthesized form.

At the Fresno County supervisors meeting Tuesday, Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer with the Fresno County Department of Public Health, said that unlike heroin or fentanyl, kratom is an opioid plus a stimulant. He said that nationwide, there are hundreds of overdoses every year and it’s becoming more popular.

He said at the Tuesday meeting that for regulators, differentiating between natural leaf and synthesized kratom will be difficult as retailers can simply switch the labels.

Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza — the ban’s sponsor — told GV Wire on Tuesday that the only uses for kratom appear to be recreational.

“These unregulated substances have been linked to serious illnesses and overdose deaths across the country. Fresno families deserve neighborhoods free from synthetic opioids disguised as natural supplements,” Esparza said. “This ordinance ensures our city takes decisive action when our state and federal governments cannot act swiftly enough to protect our residents.”