Council Bans Nitrous Oxide, Kratom Sales Citywide

The City Council on Tuesday, April 7, unanimously voted to ban the sale of nitrous oxide and kratom in the city.

The council's vote comes after the Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee recommended the council approve the bans in February after a Feb. 18 committee meeting.

The move prohibits the sale of nitrous oxide in the city except for authorized uses in the medical, dental and pharmacy industry, in the wholesale capacity, and for food preparation and vehicle performance. The council also banned the sale of kratom-based products, as kratom contains several alkaloids including potent psychoactive compound 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).

Health officials linked synthetic kratom to fatal overdoses, and nitrous oxide long-term abuse to nerve damage, cognitive impairments and increased DUI incidents.

The crackdown comes after police observed nitrous oxide and kratom products sold at smoke shops and gas stationsthroughout the city.

Deputy Chief Charles Payne told the committee Feb. 18 he noticed energy drinks containing kratom sold on shelves next to regular energy drinks in convenience stores — Councilmember Sean Mill said he saw nitrous oxide products at smoke shops.

Both emphasized the potential danger of customers accidentally buying products that contained such substances.

Violations of both ordinances are punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail.

Police offered two options for kratom: a full ban or tighter regulations. The regulation option would have banned synthetic kratom products and marketing targeted toward children, while still allowing kratom with less than 2 percent 7-OH to be sold only to adults 21 and older. Those proposed rules matched measures Riverside County adopted in October 2025.

Not everyone agreed with the stricter approach. Several people spoke against a ban on kratom and urged the committee to opt for regulation instead. They said natural whole-leaf kratom is different from synthetic products, and one Riverside resident said it helps him manage chronic pain and live a more normal life.

However, the committee recommended the full ban.

This comes after California Assembly Bill 1088, introduced in 2025 to regulate kratom statewide, stalled in the legislature. The bill would have restricted sales to those under 21 and imposed packaging and potency limits, but it did not reach a final Senate vote before legislative deadlines.