Carol Stream ordinance prohibits synthetic marijuana

Carol Stream has been receptive to businesses that legally sell cannabis.

The Bisa Lina dispensary does business at 720 E. North Ave. And in January, Carol Stream trustees approved special-use permits for two other dispensaries that have yet to open.

The village, however, does not support synthetic marijuana and other synthetic hallucinogenic or stimulant compounds.

On Monday, village trustees went a step further.

Amending a December 2011 ordinance prohibiting the sale, delivery or possession of synthetic alternative drugs, Carol Stream trustees criminalized hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as delta-8 THC and the herb kratom.

Violations will result in fines of $500 to $1,500 for each violation.

Those who sell the products are subject to having their license suspended or revoked.

Under legislation such as the 2018 Federal Farm Bill and the 2019 Illinois Industrial Hemp Act, cultivation of industrial hemp is legal. But the products have neither been tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor are they included as a federally Controlled Substance.

“One of the keywords for me is ‘unregulated,’” Carol Stream Village Manager Bill Holmer said.

“They’re unregulated, and there’s been an apparent targeting of kids and adolescents, and I think that’s a concern,” he said.

Kratom, a leaf used as medicine in Southeast Asia, was initially approved by the FDA as a dietary supplement. However, the FDA has since said there is no evidence of its safety or value to treat any condition. The Drug Enforcement Administration has banned its import into the United States.

Though the village did not state the number of Carol Stream businesses selling the banned products, Holmer said the number of smoke shops, gas stations and other businesses that do is “not insignificant.”

In its ordinance, the village identified both the chemical compounds of the synthetic cannabinoids, hallucinogens and stimulants, as well as a lengthy list of names the compounds and kratom are sold as.

Names such as “Funky Monkey” and “Lunar Wave.”

“It’s a lot of marketing, eye-catching stuff,” Holmer said.