Excelsior Springs, Missouri Bans 7-OH Sales, Restricts Kratom to Adults 21 and Older

Why it matters

Excelsior Springs joins a string of Missouri cities — including Kansas City and Gladstone — using local ordinances to regulate kratom and ban 7-OH while state lawmakers remain deadlocked. The ordinance takes a harm-reduction approach: it targets only concentrated 7-OH products, leaves possession untouched, and gives retailers 90 days to comply.

The big picture

With no state-level kratom legislation in Missouri, individual cities have moved independently. Excelsior Springs Police Chief Gregory Dull visited local retailers and found employees at multiple smoke shops and gas stations who supported pulling 7-OH off shelves — some described customers spending $400 to $500 monthly, which staff characterized as addictive behavior. The council voted unanimously for the ordinance on June 15, 2026. The ban on 7-OH sales takes effect September 15; kratom sales to minors are prohibited immediately.

Key findings

• Excelsior Springs City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 26-06-06 on June 15, 2026, banning 7-OH sales and restricting kratom to customers 21 and older
• The 7-OH sales ban takes effect September 15, 2026, giving retailers 90 days to clear inventory
• The ordinance does not criminalize possession — enforcement focuses entirely on the retail transaction
• Traditional kratom products contain roughly 1.5% to 2% active alkaloid content; commercial 7-OH products tested at 35% to 70%, roughly 20 to 40 times more concentrated
• Local police chief cited retailers seeing customers spend $400 to $500 monthly on 7-OH, describing the sales pattern as predatory toward vulnerable residents
• A March 2026 CDC report counted 14,449 kratom-related poison center reports from 2015 through 2025, with annual reports rising from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025

What they say

"We're really doing something in compromise," said one council member. Excelsior Springs Police Chief Dull told the council the ordinance is a preventative step: workers at local businesses told him they supported removing 7-OH from shelves after watching repeat customers with signs of dependency. "Their impression was that these folks were addicted to it," Dull said.

Bottom line

Excelsior Springs' unanimous vote illustrates a spreading local-ordinance strategy: ban the synthetic concentrate, leave the leaf alone, skip the state capital entirely.