West Chester Borough Council will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Aug. 19 on whether to regulate or ban the sale, manufacture and use of kratom within borough limits, a first-of-its-kind action for the municipality.
The hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 401 E. Gay St. Residents who want to weigh in will have the chance to address council directly.
Kratom is a plant-derived substance sold in smoke shops, gas stations and online in forms including powders, capsules, gummies and liquids. At lower doses it acts as a stimulant; at higher doses it can produce opioid-like effects including sedation and respiratory depression. The DEA classifies it as a "Drug and Chemical of Concern," and it has no FDA-approved medical uses.
Why now
The hearing comes as kratom faces mounting scrutiny at the state and federal level. On July 1, 2026, the DEA announced its intent to temporarily place 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a concentrated kratom derivative described as up to 30 times more potent than morphine, in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. That order was expected to take effect on or after Aug. 5, according to a Congressional Research Service analysis.
The federal action targets 7-OH specifically, not the kratom plant itself or products with concentrations below 0.05%.
Pennsylvania currently has no comprehensive kratom regulatory framework, though the minimum purchase age is 21. State Rep. Jim Prokopiak (D-Bucks) said in December 2025, when he co-introduced House Bill 2058 to regulate kratom statewide: "Right now, Pennsylvanians can walk into a gas station or smoke shop and buy a product that mimics opioids — with no age limit, no labeling and no oversight."
That bill, which would ban synthetic kratom products and require testing and labeling, remains in the House Health Committee.
State health data
Pennsylvania Poison Centers recorded 167 kratom and 7-OH exposure cases from January 2022 through June 2025, according to a state Department of Health advisory issued in October 2025. Of those, 81 individuals experienced significant illness, 25 received naloxone and 14 required mechanical ventilation. Montgomery County, which borders Chester County, had 14 cases — the second-highest total statewide.
The state also recorded 38 drug overdose deaths in 2024 where kratom or 7-OH was a contributing factor, according to Spotlight PA.
Other PA municipalities watching
West Chester would not be the first Pennsylvania municipality to consider local kratom restrictions. Scranton City Council introduced ban ordinances in April 2026, but those remain tabled as of early August. No Pennsylvania municipality has enacted a citywide kratom ban.
Also on the Aug. 19 agenda
The same meeting will include two additional public hearings: one on Chapter 104 (Vehicles and Traffic) code amendments and another on Chapter 112 zoning changes related to tobacco stores and smoke shops. The smoke shop zoning hearing is directly connected to the kratom issue, since kratom and 7-OH products are predominantly sold in those retail locations.
All three hearings begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building. West Chester Borough Council has not responded to requests for comment on the scope of the proposed kratom ordinance.
