Official San Mateo County Ordinance Bans Kratom and 7-OH Sales; Violations Carry Criminal Penalties

Why it matters

Official county ordinance establishes legal framework for kratom enforcement across unincorporated areas. The 5-0 supervisory vote demonstrates broad consensus on public health risks, setting enforcement precedent and potentially spurring similar action in neighboring Bay Area counties.

The big picture

San Mateo County supervisors formally approved an ordinance that bans the sale and distribution of all kratom and 7-OH containing products in unincorporated areas of the county. The move follows FDA warnings and CDC data on rapidly escalating harms. Marketing tactics targeting youth mirror those used for nicotine and cannabis, raising concerns about normalized use among adolescents.

Key findings

• County ordinance approved unanimously (5-0 vote) on April 21, 2026
• Ban applies to all kratom and products with detectable 7-OH levels
• Violations are public nuisance with criminal penalties: up to $1,000 fines and 6 months jail
• Businesses face permit/license revocation
• Prohibition extends to tablets, gummies, drinks, and liquid shots sold in retail
• FDA has called concentrated 7-OH products significantly higher risk than traditional leaf

What they say

Supervisor Ray Mueller: "It is destroying lives up and down the state. People are going in to stores and really finding an opioid that is readily present, available and being marketed and, in many cases, being marketed to youth." Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Stanford pediatrics professor: Marketing strategies "mirror those used for nicotine and cannabis products that have driven youth experimentation and harm."

Bottom line

**San Mateo County's official ban establishes enforceable regulations and criminal penalties for kratom sales, addressing what supervisors characterized as an opioid problem disguised as a supplement.**