The county council meeting is on May 13.

ST. CHARLES CO., Mo. – St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann plans to ask the county council to consider a ban on Kratom and related substances in St. Charles County.

Advocates of the herb said it offers relief from pain, depression and anxiety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to consumers not to use Kratom because of dangerous risks.

“In St. Charles County, we don’t think a warning is enough,” Ehlmann says. “Dr. Mary Case, St. Charles County’s Chief Medical Examiner, told me Kratom has played a role in at least nine deaths since the end of 2017. While this is certainly a global issue that is being addressed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FDA and individual states, including Missouri, it’s hitting home. Local governmental bodies can speed up the process of making this drug illegal by taking a stand now. That is why I am urging the Council to move forward and ban this substance in St. Charles County.”

READ MORE: Herbal supplement Kratom is tied to more US deaths

The county council meeting is on May 13. A vote to approve or reject the ordinance could take place at the council meeting on May 28.

States that have banned the sale and use of Kratom are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and Vermont. There is pending legislation in New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Mississippi and Georgia, and other states are conducting studies regarding its use.