Police are starting to enforce a ban on kratom products in Albany County Tuesday.
Individuals and businesses selling kratom products in the county will face an initial fine of $1,000 and a maximum fine of up to $2,000 per violation.
The ban must be renewed by the county health department every five days. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy says the ban is a temporary measure while the County Legislature considers more permanent regulations.
"It's been been positive feedback some negative obviously some people that want to keep it there with the all natural we can always pull it back, but we're not the experts," McCoy said. "As we deal with the experts on a statewide level, national level, to see what we should do."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says safety concerns around Kratom include liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder. The New York State Health Department also notes that many kratom consumers use the product for pain relief and to address opioid withdrawal.
The county ban comes as New York state law requires kratom products to include warning labels and bans individuals under 21 from buying the products.
Albany joins other counties like Nassau and Dutchess in passing restrictions on kratom, though Dutchess County's measure only bans sale of select kratom products.
