Des Plaines moves to ban sale of unregulated hemp products
The Des Plaines City Council on Monday took a big step toward outlawing the local sale of potentially intoxicating products made from hemp or kratom plants.
Without opposition, council members tentatively approved enacting such a ban. A final vote is needed and could occur when the council next meets May 6.
Under the proposal, violators would face fines ranging from $200 to $750.
Hemp is a type of cannabis plant that contains low amounts of the high-inducing chemical in marijuana called THC but may have higher concentrations of related compounds. Leaves from the kratom tree can be chewed, swallowed or brewed for medicinal or intoxicating purposes.
Des Plaines’ proposed ordinance aims to crack down on the proliferation of hemp and kratom products because they aren’t regulated by state or federal agencies and have been considered potentially dangerous by medical and law enforcement representatives.
Hemp and kratom products have grown in availability since the passage of a 2018 federal farm bill. Illinois lawmakers voted to legalize cannabis sales at dispensaries the following year.
Despite several attempts, the General Assembly hasn’t yet passed laws banning psychoactive hemp or kratom products. A new effort, supported by cannabis industry representatives, launched last week.
Des Plaines Alderman Carla Brookman called the continued availability of hemp and kratom products a “loophole in the law.”
“They fall into a legal gray area where they are completely unregulated,” said Brookman, who represents the 5th Ward and leads the council’s legal and licensing committee.
Before the council voted on the plan, three audience members rose in support of kratom. All three women said they take the substance to relieve pain, and they insisted it doesn’t have the same addictive properties or health risks as opioids or other drugs.
Wheeling, Geneva and North Aurora are among the suburbs that have outlawed selling hemp and kratom.