Corinth Kratom Ban Takes Effect Immediately

Corinth has a kratom ban in effect. The Corinth Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted an emergency ordinance Friday that immediately prohibits the sale of kratom products and other substances city leaders consider dangerous, according to the Daily Corinthian. The move comes weeks after the deaths of two University of Mississippi students that investigators have tied to kratom-based pills.

How the Corinth Kratom Ban Moved So Fast

Police Chief Landon Tucker asked city leaders to act. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6, the board voted to move toward an ordinance banning the sale of kratom and similar products.

A new city ordinance normally goes through a longer process before it takes effect. Aldermen wanted the ban on the books sooner, so they called a special meeting Friday morning, Oct. 9. They adopted the ordinance as an emergency measure, which made it effective right away instead of after the usual waiting period.

The ordinance is aimed at getting kratom products off store shelves inside the city limits. Retailers in Corinth that carry kratom, including products sold at convenience stores, smoke shops and vape shops, should expect enforcement under the new rule.

What Is Kratom?

Kratom comes from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree. It is sold in powders, capsules, drinks and concentrated pills, often marketed as an energy booster or pain reliever. Critics sometimes call it “gas station heroin” because of its opioid-like effects and how easy it is to buy.

Concern has grown over newer, highly concentrated and semi-synthetic products, such as pills built around 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and related compounds. Those products can be far stronger than the plant leaf.

The Ole Miss Deaths Behind the Push

Two Ole Miss students, 18-year-old Aidan Hamilton and 20-year-old Robert Strang, died on Sept. 21. According to WTVA, a toxicology report described in federal court showed both students had the same three substances in their systems, including mitragynine, the main active compound in kratom. Investigators allege Hamilton bought the pills at an Oxford vape and tobacco store, where police later seized about 500 kratom and kratom-like products. Two men tied to that store face federal charges and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The deaths set off a wave of local action across North Mississippi. Oxford has adopted a ban, and other cities in the region, including Tupelo and Starkville, had already moved to outlaw kratom before this fall.

State Law and Local Bans

Mississippi’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which took effect July 1, 2025, set statewide rules on kratom sales, including age limits on certain concentrated products. The law leaves room for cities and counties to adopt stricter local rules, which is what Corinth has now done.

Key points for Corinth residents and businesses:

• The ordinance was adopted Friday, Oct. 9, as an emergency measure and is effective immediately.
• It bans the sale of kratom products and other dangerous substances inside Corinth city limits.
• The ban was requested by Corinth Police Chief Landon Tucker.
• Questions about the ordinance can be directed to Corinth City Hall at 300 Childs St.

Anyone struggling with substance use can call the national SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-4357, which is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.

Related: Synthetic Kratom Overdose in Oxford Prompts Warning Across Northeast Mississippi | Corinth Mayor Election Tuesday: Where and When to Vote

Source: Daily Corinthian; additional background from WTVA