Gas stations and smoke shops across Naperville could be forced to pull kratom products from their shelves after the City Council votes Tuesday, Aug. 18, on an ordinance banning all retail sales of the substance citywide.
The ban, unanimously recommended by the Naperville Liquor Commission on July 9, would go beyond the city's existing age restriction and beyond a recent federal action targeting only the most potent synthetic kratom compounds. If passed, no Naperville retailer could legally sell any kratom product, according to the commission's recommendation. That includes drinks like "Feel Free" and gummy products marketed under names like "7-Ohmz" that are currently available to buyers over 21.
The ordinance (file 26-0984) is item No. 23 on the council's consent agenda and is structured as a first-reading waiver, meaning it could pass in a single meeting rather than the standard two-reading process.
What's at stake for local retailers
Kratom products are currently sold at gas stations and smoke shops throughout Naperville. The city already bans sales to anyone under 21 under a 2019 ordinance aligned with the Illinois Kratom Control Act. The proposed ban would eliminate all retail sales regardless of buyer age.
The Liquor Commission heard testimony July 9 that many commercial kratom extracts are deliberately spiked with synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine at concentrations up to 500% higher than what occurs naturally in the raw plant leaf, according to NCTV17 reporting. The FDA has issued multiple warning letters about the illegal addition of synthetic 7-OH to kratom products, noting the concentrated form can be more potent than morphine.
A Naperville mother's testimony
Ashley Ware, a Naperville resident and mother of four, told the Liquor Commission she first heard about the kratom drink "Feel Free" on a health and wellness podcast in 2022. It was marketed as an alcohol substitute and herbal supplement.
"I still didn't fully understand that it was an addictive drink. I just thought that it was like drinking coffee every morning," Ware said at the July 9 hearing.
After two years of daily use consuming as many as five 2-oz bottles a day, Ware said her skin turned green, she lost weight and experienced heart palpitations, digestive issues and paranoia. She checked into Endeavor Health Edward Hospital for detox in April 2025, where staff had never heard of kratom and treated her withdrawal like heroin addiction.
Alexandra Pochron of Fox Valley Institute testified that kratom users she treated were professionals, parents and valued community members who began using the products believing they were safe.
Broader than federal action
The DEA published a Notice of Intent in July to temporarily place synthetic 7-OH above a specified threshold into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. That federal action, which took effect Aug. 5, covers only synthetic 7-OH products above the threshold, not botanical kratom with trace amounts of the compound.
Naperville's proposed ban goes further by covering all kratom products. The Global Kratom Coalition submitted written opposition, arguing the city should align with the narrower federal approach rather than banning botanical kratom entirely.
Mayor Scott Wehrli voiced support for the broader ban at the July 9 commission meeting: "It's really a scary health risk for our community. I think there is immediate action that we need to take in our city to protect our residents."
How to weigh in
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St. Residents can sign up to speak in person by 6:30 p.m. that day or submit written comments by 4 p.m. at naperville.il.us.
