Spokane considers kratom ban as first Washington city to restrict supplement sales

SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane is taking its first steps to ban the sale of kratom.

Spokane's Public Safety Committee discussed making it illegal to sell kratom in Spokane. If passed, it would be the first city in Washington to ban it.

The substance is marketed as a supplement and often sold in gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. But doctors say it can have opioid-like effects.

The DEA classifies kratom as a drug and can be sold in many different forms including tablets, capsules and powders.

Kratom is not FDA approved.

The proposed ban has strong support from people who have experienced kratom addiction. Cody Chapman first heard of kratom from a friend who described it as an energy booster.

But Chapman says it wasn't long before the drug took over his life.

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