2.-AA. ID 25-1568 BILL - (For Introduction) Adding Chapter 10 of Article 28 of the Fresno Municipal Code, relating to the regulation of the sale and distribution of kratom products within the City limits
I am urging you to support the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA).
This legislation offers a path forward that ensures consumer safety, restricts dangerous synthetics, and preserves access to a plant that has given thousands of Americans - including me - the chance to live productive, healthy lives. The KCPA would also provide a legal framework for responsible vendors, prevent adulteration, and support local business revenue, all while protecting vulnerable individuals from being forced back into pharmaceutical or self-destructive alternatives.
I pay close attention to news regarding this plant, which is why I am writing to you today. If kratom were to be Scheduled/banned and thereby inaccessible to me, I don’t say this lightly: it would unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to build. I would lose my footing, both professionally and personally. No prescription has ever helped me like kratom has, and many of them hurt far more than they helped.
Please, don’t let fear and misunderstanding dictate this decision. Look at the human stories. Look at the science. And look at the future we can build with thoughtful, compassionate legislation like the KCPA.
I am selecting Neutral because I support reasonable regulation of synthetic and adulterated kratom products, but I oppose any language that would restrict or ban natural kratom leaf.
My name is Chase Brock. I’m a high school special education teacher, ADHD coach, ocean lifeguard, and outdoor educator. I also have an autoimmune disorder that causes severe fatigue, pain, and digestive issues. There are no pharmaceutical options for my condition, and natural kratom leaf has been the only thing that allows me to work, stay independent, and contribute to my community. Before kratom, I was essentially disabled.
Natural kratom leaf is part of the coffee family and is not the public safety risk. The danger comes from synthetic or adulterated products, which absolutely should be regulated and enforced against.
Fresno County already recognized this difference and moved toward removing natural kratom from their ban. This is a balanced, common-sense approach that protects public safety without pushing responsible adults toward unsafe black-market alternatives or harming small businesses.
Please focus regulation on synthetic and adulterated products and preserve access to natural kratom leaf for responsible adults.
Kratom is not a supplement that the council should be worried about, they should be putting their time and attention to other harmful ingredients and products that have long-term effects.
I operate the best health and coaching service in Fresno, Ca and have helped hundreds of individuals improve their house over the course of the past five years.
This product is much more beneficial than any form of caffeine or stimulant that is on the market
My name is Dugan Farrell and I I have been a kratom consumer for close to a decade and in that time I’ve managed to maintain my sobriety from an opioid addiction, advance my career, meet and marry the love of my life, and become closer than ever to my parents. Kratom has been an instrumental part of my life’s journey, and I have first hand seen it benefit friends and family along the way. Millions of California residents rely on this plant to help them manage conditions ranging from chronic pain, addiction, and treatment resistant mood disorders.
California needs sensible regulation like age restrictions and requirements for third party lab testing to protect its kratom consumers, not to punish consumers and compromise their access to this plant.
Cannabis is a great example of a plant that was demonized and criminalized for decades which had severe negative consequences for its users and for our society as a whole. Criminalizing the the kratom industry and its users will do nothing but harm our society and push people towards illegal street drugs to manage their chronic pain, opioid addictions, and countless other conditions that they use Kratom to manage.
Please advocate for people like me and my wife whose lives have greatly benefited from this amazing plant and reign in the CA DPH from overstepping and attacking those lawfully manufacturing and selling safe Kratom products in California.
19 years ago I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. This came with not only many physical limitations but I became a life long chronic pain patient. For 13 years I utilized various pain management options including prescription medications to help me be able to function. Due to circumstances like the DEA cutbacks and changing regulations I was eventually unable to get my pain meds that I had relied upon for so long. In May 2019 I found whole leaf kratom and have been a responsible kratom consumer for the last 6 years. I can get out of bed, run errands, attend school functions, and even with my physical limitations, live a somewhat normal life because my pain is being managed. I know there are many others who have a similar story to mine. Whole leaf Kratom has been a lifeline for people like me who just want to live a better quality of life and we should have the freedom to choose kratom to do that.
Whole-leaf kratom, when properly tested and labeled, has helped countless people like myself have a better quality of life.
What puts consumers at risk are the 7-OH products being marketed as kratom, which very different from the natural plant.
I’m asking you to support regulations instead of banning kratom.
This protects public health while preserving the freedom of choice for responsible adults.
I am a 43-year-old business owner who suffers from chronic pain due to a car accident when I was younger. Kratom got me off opiates and has allowed me to live a normal and productive life for the past ten years.
In reading some of the comments in support, it is clear that kratom is being confused with 7Oh. These are not the same thing, and grouping them together creates unnecessary fear and misinformation.
Kratom is one of the few things in this country that genuinely helps reduce dependence on opioids. Instead of recognizing its value, it continues to be misunderstood and targeted. Kratom leaf is a natural plant, and unlike opiates, it does not cause respiratory depression, which means you cannot overdose on it the way you can with opioids. If it is banned, I will be forced to search for other ways to manage my pain, and those alternatives are far more dangerous and debilitating.
I support regulation and believe it should be limited to responsible adults age 21 and up, just like alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana.
This is probably the first time you have heard of kratom, but your decision here greatly affects the lives of chronic pain sufferers who rely on it in this county. If nothing else, please table this and contact the American Kratom Association so you can review accurate information before making a decision.
My brother started using kratom products and it ruined his life. Hes addicted to these products and he keeps telling me its herbal but Im watching him throw his life away. I worry he will take too much one day. Feel Free is too accessible in stores and he drinks 3-4 each day with some tablets that also have it in them. I was reading these other comments and they are all saying its a miracle drug. The truth is that kratom is completely unregulated and dangerous. Keeping kratom accessible in any form like below 2% like some people say is basically trusting a store owner’s word. I dont trust these store owners because they know the 7OH is bad and they sell it anyway. We are supposed to trust store owners to keep the 7OH level below 2% when they have been selling this lethal product to people like my brother for years? I dont buy it. There is no government agency watching this stuff so it needs to be banned. This stuff is poison and its about time politicians did something about it even if it is local only. Ive ready studies and done research on my own and kratom is too dangerous to sell at a gas station. Its about time Fresno did something about this. I dont know about my brother but if this law can save someone else from getting hooked on what is basically legal and accessible opioids then its worth it. I urge you to pass this law.
I do not reside in your state but I fear if your state, city, county passes any prohibition, other states, citys, counties may continue to follow. I currently use kratom for pain management. I personally feel it is a safer alternative to prescribed medicines that deal with pain, again i know I do not reside in your state but I fear if the path to restricting or banning this alternative continues I and many others would unfairly be impacted. Reject prohibition and consider regulation. Thank you
I saw this on the news tonight. You guys do a lot of weird things but I didn’t know the drug was for sale everywhere. I support ban the kratem. I don’t want my kids to go to the store and buy the drugs legal.
In April 2019, I was dismissed from pain management after failing a required pill count. I was 11 pills short, and my usual drug dealers didn’t have the pink oxy 10s I needed. Cut off from prescriptions, I turned to the streets in desperation and eventually slipped into cocaine use while searching for another doctor.
Then, in June 2019, while suffering through cocaine withdrawal, I stumbled upon the documentary A Leaf of Faith. That single moment changed the course of my life. The very next day, I began my journey with whole-leaf Kratom, not synthetic 7OH.
Kratom quieted the relentless cravings, the constant voice whispering, one more pill, one more snort, one more escape. For the first time in over a decade, I felt peace. Kratom gave me the space and clarity to confront the deeper reasons behind my addiction and to rebuild my life from the ground up.
I have not returned to pain management in over six and a half years. Today, I am a thriving mother, a proud first-time grandmother, a functioning member of society, and a tax-paying citizen. Most importantly, I’m no longer a burden to my children. I’m an example of hope and healing.
I will forever be grateful that I found safe, lab-tested, whole-leaf Kratom. Now, I share my story, knowledge, and the science behind it to help others facing addiction, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
My name Is Ben Swanson, I am a happily married father of 2. I am writing to you today to request that you do not ban kratom. A ban on Kratom will deprive 1000’s of great people of access to a natural, safe plant, from the coffee family, whose benefits help millions of Americans live better every Day.
The Kratom plant is not a drug. Kratom is not an opiate. Kratom is not a synthetic substance. Though kratom is relatively new to the United States, Kratom has been used safely for 100’s of years in South East Asia as a natural medicine. Kratom in its natural form is a safe herbal tea whose users claim energy, pain relief, depression and anxiety relief and helps users curb addiction to Alcohol and opiates. According To Dr Jack Henningfield, PHD Kratoms’ potential for abuse is no more than Nutmeg, Hops, St John’s Wort.
The medical system failed me after a roll over accident while I was pregnant. My diagnosis was spondylolisthesis so my only options were pain medications or serious surgery. Looking back I wish I’d never taken the first pill. I became physically dependent, with a FT job and a new child to care for. This went on for many years. It’s a dangerous cycle that started when I was 36 and ended when I was 53. Natural Kratom allowed me to safely stop taking dangerous opioids and other medications permanently. I still have pain but I can tolerate it with Natural Kratom, light exercise, Advil and ice packs on the worst days. Natural Kratom is a life saver. I’m living proof. Please focus on regulating the dangerous synthetic versions and access by minors. Natural Kratom is extremely safe!
Oppose making kratom unlawful. This plant can be restricted to those over the age of majority and the synthetic substances are not the same as kratom plants.
Oppose making kratom unlawful. This plant can be restricted to those over the age of majority and the synthetic substances are not the same as kratom plants.
Oppose making kratom unlawful. This plant can be restricted to those over the age of majority and the synthetic substances are not the same as kratom plants.
I am urging you to support the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA).
This legislation offers a path forward that ensures consumer safety, restricts dangerous synthetics, and preserves access to a plant that has given thousands of Americans - including me - the chance to live productive, healthy lives. The KCPA would also provide a legal framework for responsible vendors, prevent adulteration, and support local business revenue, all while protecting vulnerable individuals from being forced back into pharmaceutical or self-destructive alternatives.
I pay close attention to news regarding this plant, which is why I am writing to you today. If kratom were to be Scheduled/banned and thereby inaccessible to me, I don’t say this lightly: it would unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to build. I would lose my footing, both professionally and personally. No prescription has ever helped me like kratom has, and many of them hurt far more than they helped.
Please, don’t let fear and misunderstanding dictate this decision. Look at the human stories. Look at the science. And look at the future we can build with thoughtful, compassionate legislation like the KCPA.
Therefore, I am in opposition to ID 25-1568.
Thank you for your time, and for your service.
Agenda Item 2 – ID 25-1568 — Neutral
I am selecting Neutral because I support reasonable regulation of synthetic and adulterated kratom products, but I oppose any language that would restrict or ban natural kratom leaf.
My name is Chase Brock. I’m a high school special education teacher, ADHD coach, ocean lifeguard, and outdoor educator. I also have an autoimmune disorder that causes severe fatigue, pain, and digestive issues. There are no pharmaceutical options for my condition, and natural kratom leaf has been the only thing that allows me to work, stay independent, and contribute to my community. Before kratom, I was essentially disabled.
Natural kratom leaf is part of the coffee family and is not the public safety risk. The danger comes from synthetic or adulterated products, which absolutely should be regulated and enforced against.
Fresno County already recognized this difference and moved toward removing natural kratom from their ban. This is a balanced, common-sense approach that protects public safety without pushing responsible adults toward unsafe black-market alternatives or harming small businesses.
Please focus regulation on synthetic and adulterated products and preserve access to natural kratom leaf for responsible adults.
Thank you.
Kratom is not a supplement that the council should be worried about, they should be putting their time and attention to other harmful ingredients and products that have long-term effects.
I operate the best health and coaching service in Fresno, Ca and have helped hundreds of individuals improve their house over the course of the past five years.
This product is much more beneficial than any form of caffeine or stimulant that is on the market
My name is Dugan Farrell and I I have been a kratom consumer for close to a decade and in that time I’ve managed to maintain my sobriety from an opioid addiction, advance my career, meet and marry the love of my life, and become closer than ever to my parents. Kratom has been an instrumental part of my life’s journey, and I have first hand seen it benefit friends and family along the way. Millions of California residents rely on this plant to help them manage conditions ranging from chronic pain, addiction, and treatment resistant mood disorders.
California needs sensible regulation like age restrictions and requirements for third party lab testing to protect its kratom consumers, not to punish consumers and compromise their access to this plant.
Cannabis is a great example of a plant that was demonized and criminalized for decades which had severe negative consequences for its users and for our society as a whole. Criminalizing the the kratom industry and its users will do nothing but harm our society and push people towards illegal street drugs to manage their chronic pain, opioid addictions, and countless other conditions that they use Kratom to manage.
Please advocate for people like me and my wife whose lives have greatly benefited from this amazing plant and reign in the CA DPH from overstepping and attacking those lawfully manufacturing and selling safe Kratom products in California.
19 years ago I was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. This came with not only many physical limitations but I became a life long chronic pain patient. For 13 years I utilized various pain management options including prescription medications to help me be able to function. Due to circumstances like the DEA cutbacks and changing regulations I was eventually unable to get my pain meds that I had relied upon for so long. In May 2019 I found whole leaf kratom and have been a responsible kratom consumer for the last 6 years. I can get out of bed, run errands, attend school functions, and even with my physical limitations, live a somewhat normal life because my pain is being managed. I know there are many others who have a similar story to mine. Whole leaf Kratom has been a lifeline for people like me who just want to live a better quality of life and we should have the freedom to choose kratom to do that.
Whole-leaf kratom, when properly tested and labeled, has helped countless people like myself have a better quality of life.
What puts consumers at risk are the 7-OH products being marketed as kratom, which very different from the natural plant.
I’m asking you to support regulations instead of banning kratom.
This protects public health while preserving the freedom of choice for responsible adults.
I am a 43-year-old business owner who suffers from chronic pain due to a car accident when I was younger. Kratom got me off opiates and has allowed me to live a normal and productive life for the past ten years.
In reading some of the comments in support, it is clear that kratom is being confused with 7Oh. These are not the same thing, and grouping them together creates unnecessary fear and misinformation.
Kratom is one of the few things in this country that genuinely helps reduce dependence on opioids. Instead of recognizing its value, it continues to be misunderstood and targeted. Kratom leaf is a natural plant, and unlike opiates, it does not cause respiratory depression, which means you cannot overdose on it the way you can with opioids. If it is banned, I will be forced to search for other ways to manage my pain, and those alternatives are far more dangerous and debilitating.
I support regulation and believe it should be limited to responsible adults age 21 and up, just like alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana.
This is probably the first time you have heard of kratom, but your decision here greatly affects the lives of chronic pain sufferers who rely on it in this county. If nothing else, please table this and contact the American Kratom Association so you can review accurate information before making a decision.
I strongly oppose this ordinance.
My brother started using kratom products and it ruined his life. Hes addicted to these products and he keeps telling me its herbal but Im watching him throw his life away. I worry he will take too much one day. Feel Free is too accessible in stores and he drinks 3-4 each day with some tablets that also have it in them. I was reading these other comments and they are all saying its a miracle drug. The truth is that kratom is completely unregulated and dangerous. Keeping kratom accessible in any form like below 2% like some people say is basically trusting a store owner’s word. I dont trust these store owners because they know the 7OH is bad and they sell it anyway. We are supposed to trust store owners to keep the 7OH level below 2% when they have been selling this lethal product to people like my brother for years? I dont buy it. There is no government agency watching this stuff so it needs to be banned. This stuff is poison and its about time politicians did something about it even if it is local only. Ive ready studies and done research on my own and kratom is too dangerous to sell at a gas station. Its about time Fresno did something about this. I dont know about my brother but if this law can save someone else from getting hooked on what is basically legal and accessible opioids then its worth it. I urge you to pass this law.
I do not reside in your state but I fear if your state, city, county passes any prohibition, other states, citys, counties may continue to follow. I currently use kratom for pain management. I personally feel it is a safer alternative to prescribed medicines that deal with pain, again i know I do not reside in your state but I fear if the path to restricting or banning this alternative continues I and many others would unfairly be impacted. Reject prohibition and consider regulation. Thank you
I oppose
I'm for age restrictions but not banning. And keep 7oh below 2% ingredients by volume
Fro age restrictions but not banning. And keep 7oh below 2% ingredients by volume
I saw this on the news tonight. You guys do a lot of weird things but I didn’t know the drug was for sale everywhere. I support ban the kratem. I don’t want my kids to go to the store and buy the drugs legal.
7OH IS NOT KRATOM!
In April 2019, I was dismissed from pain management after failing a required pill count. I was 11 pills short, and my usual drug dealers didn’t have the pink oxy 10s I needed. Cut off from prescriptions, I turned to the streets in desperation and eventually slipped into cocaine use while searching for another doctor.
Then, in June 2019, while suffering through cocaine withdrawal, I stumbled upon the documentary A Leaf of Faith. That single moment changed the course of my life. The very next day, I began my journey with whole-leaf Kratom, not synthetic 7OH.
Kratom quieted the relentless cravings, the constant voice whispering, one more pill, one more snort, one more escape. For the first time in over a decade, I felt peace. Kratom gave me the space and clarity to confront the deeper reasons behind my addiction and to rebuild my life from the ground up.
I have not returned to pain management in over six and a half years. Today, I am a thriving mother, a proud first-time grandmother, a functioning member of society, and a tax-paying citizen. Most importantly, I’m no longer a burden to my children. I’m an example of hope and healing.
I will forever be grateful that I found safe, lab-tested, whole-leaf Kratom. Now, I share my story, knowledge, and the science behind it to help others facing addiction, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.
My name Is Ben Swanson, I am a happily married father of 2. I am writing to you today to request that you do not ban kratom. A ban on Kratom will deprive 1000’s of great people of access to a natural, safe plant, from the coffee family, whose benefits help millions of Americans live better every Day.
The Kratom plant is not a drug. Kratom is not an opiate. Kratom is not a synthetic substance. Though kratom is relatively new to the United States, Kratom has been used safely for 100’s of years in South East Asia as a natural medicine. Kratom in its natural form is a safe herbal tea whose users claim energy, pain relief, depression and anxiety relief and helps users curb addiction to Alcohol and opiates. According To Dr Jack Henningfield, PHD Kratoms’ potential for abuse is no more than Nutmeg, Hops, St John’s Wort.
Please do not ban this safe plant.
The medical system failed me after a roll over accident while I was pregnant. My diagnosis was spondylolisthesis so my only options were pain medications or serious surgery. Looking back I wish I’d never taken the first pill. I became physically dependent, with a FT job and a new child to care for. This went on for many years. It’s a dangerous cycle that started when I was 36 and ended when I was 53. Natural Kratom allowed me to safely stop taking dangerous opioids and other medications permanently. I still have pain but I can tolerate it with Natural Kratom, light exercise, Advil and ice packs on the worst days. Natural Kratom is a life saver. I’m living proof. Please focus on regulating the dangerous synthetic versions and access by minors. Natural Kratom is extremely safe!
Oppose making kratom unlawful. This plant can be restricted to those over the age of majority and the synthetic substances are not the same as kratom plants.
Oppose making kratom unlawful. This plant can be restricted to those over the age of majority and the synthetic substances are not the same as kratom plants.
Oppose making kratom unlawful. This plant can be restricted to those over the age of majority and the synthetic substances are not the same as kratom plants.