Ocala City Council Directs City Attorney to Draft Kratom Sales Ban Ordinance

Why it matters

Ocala's push — driven by firsthand overdose testimony and 3,672 EMS kratom encounters in Florida since 2023 — signals growing local pressure for action even as Florida's state legislature has not passed a statewide ban.

The big picture

Florida has seen high-profile kratom fatalities and a record number of overdose EMS calls. Sarasota County already has a kratom sales ban, and several Florida counties are considering similar measures. With no statewide bill passing in 2026, localities are increasingly moving independently, citing public safety.

Key findings

• Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano proposed a kratom sales ban in partnership with Marion County, citing growing overdoses and community deaths
• Two speakers gave emotional testimony — a cardiovascular specialist whose brother died from kratom, and a 21-year-old who fell into a coma after consuming 7Stax Kratom in April 2026
• Florida EMS recorded 3,672 suspected kratom-related overdose encounters between January 2023 and April 2026
• The city attorney will draft an ordinance in coordination with the county, modeled on Sarasota County's ban
• No immediate vote was taken; the council reached consensus to move forward and return with a draft

What they say

"We cannot wait for our state to address this. This is a serious issue, and we can see that lives have already been lost," said Mayor Ben Marciano at the July 21, 2026 council meeting.

Bottom line

Ocala is moving toward a kratom ban driven by overdose deaths and coma cases tied to concentrated 7-OH products sold legally at local smoke shops.