Mount Prospect bans unregulated THC, Kratom products
Mount Prospect trustees have banned the sale and possession of unregulated THC products, Kratom and Tianeptine within village limits.
The restrictions take effect Friday, July 25, with a 90-day phaseout period. During the transition, businesses may continue selling the products to customers 21 and older.
The village ordinance passed Tuesday targets products that exist in regulatory gray areas, including: Delta-8, Delta-10 and THC-O, THC variants with concentrations commonly between 70-85%; Kratom, which is derived from a tree in Southeast Asia and marketed as a mood booster and pain reliever; and Tianeptine, a synthetic drug with opioid-like effects.
“The problem is really just the rise of these unregulated substances in retail stores,” Community Development Director Jason Shallcross said. “The synthetic THC, the Kratom and the Tianeptine are sold without health, safety or potency testing, and they're packaged and marketed as if they are legal cannabis products, which they are not.”
Trustee Vince Dante, who spearheaded the ordinance, emphasized the safety risks posed by unregulated products. There also have been instances of underage sales in the village, he added.
“People that take unregulated stuff, they don't know what they're getting,” Dante said. “They're either going to get paranoid, they're going to have panic attacks, they're going to get sick.”
Two members of the public defended Kratom, arguing that it provides legitimate benefits for pain management and opioid withdrawal.
Wauconda resident Heidi Sykora, a retired nurse practitioner and health care executive who uses Kratom, distinguished between natural and dangerous synthetic variants.
“This is extremely beneficial, and anyone in this room is just an accident or an illness away from needing something for pain,” Sykora told the village board. “There are such tight guidelines on prescribing opioids now that there's not a lot of options out there.”
However, Trustee Beth DiPrima noted that recreational marijuana is available in Mount Prospect.
“I don't think Kratom is the only option for that sort of thing,” she added.