Is Kratom Legal in Los Angeles? The Latest on the LA County Ban

Key Takeaways

• Kratom sales are not legal in Los Angeles anymore, according to the Los Angeles and California departments of public health.
• State-licensed retailers must remove all kratom from their shelves or risk penalties and fines.
• It’s still legal to possess kratom in Los Angeles.
• No matter what state you live in, you should always buy kratom that’s been lab tested to ensure it’s free from harmful contaminants.

Kratom shelves at your local LA smoke shop looking empty? Before you head online to check out instead, there are a few things you should know. 

As you may or may not be aware, the California Department of Public Health announced a campaign to remove kratom from Los Angeles stores in October 2025. Well, things have only gotten more serious since then, with $5 million in kratom products having been seized. 

What does that mean for you? Is kratom legal in Los Angeles? Get the facts at The Kratom Company.

Is Kratom Banned in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles has issued a county-wide ban prohibiting the sale of kratom and 7-hydromitragynine, joining San Diego and Sacramento as California counties where kratom is banned. 

While kratom is federally legal, the ban in Los Angeles is enforced under the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This legislation gives state bodies, including the CDPH, power to set rules, inspect products, and demand ingredient disclosures. Under the legislation, CDPH classifies all ingestible kratom products as adulterated and unapproved.

What You Need to Know About the County Crackdown on Kratom

Because kratom is not legal in Los Angeles, strict bans and business penalties have been enacted throughout the county. This means:

• Smoke shops, gas stations, and other Los Angeles stores must pull kratom products from shelves
• Health officials will red-tag kratom products for removal from shops
• Non-compliance can result in products being seized and destroyed
• Stores can face fines and immediate alcohol license removal or suspension

What Do Kratom Restrictions Mean for You?

We want to point out an important distinction: commercial sale of kratom is not legal in Los Angeles, BUT this doesn’t apply to personal possession. It’s not a crime for an adult to possess or use kratom. So, if you’ve already built up a stash of kratom capsules and products, you won’t face any penalties.

This is a big departure from San Diego’s legislation. The city didn’t just pass a ban in 2016. They enacted an ordinance that prohibited the manufacture, sale, distribution, and possession of kratom.

If Kratom Is Banned in Los Angeles, Can I Buy Online?

This one is a bit of a gray area. Since the federal government hasn’t officially classified kratom as a controlled substance, some out-of-state vendors continue to fulfill kratom orders to Los Angeles addresses. However, many reputable retailers, including The Kratom Company, comply with local legislation and will not ship in areas where kratom is banned.

Kratom is not legal for Los Angeles vendors. They still cannot sell kratom extracts, powders, or other kratom products to customers where those sales are prohibited.

Why LA Banned Kratom

Kratom isn’t anything new, so why is it being banned now? It comes down to a lack of regulation. 

Kratom isn’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and there are no standards governing its contents, strength, or labeling. This raises concerns about the safety of available products. 

As Albert Garcia-Romeu, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, pointed out, “unregulated medicinal supplements raise concerns with respect to contamination or higher doses of the active chemicals, which could increase negative side effects and harmful responses.” Garcia-Romeu and researchers advocate for the FDA to regulate kratom, rather than enacting outright bans. This would introduce testing for impurities.

California Is Leading the Effort to Remove Kratom From Shelves

Kratom is not legal in Los Angeles, but what about the rest of California? 

It’s complicated. Kratom is not classified as a controlled substance or criminalized under state law. However, state health and regulatory agencies like the CDPH and California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control prohibit state-licensed alcohol retailers from selling and stocking kratom.

Many Los Angeles kratom retailers have pulled products from their inventory. But if you’ve been shopping in, say, parts of Orange County, you may have seen kratom on the shelves. So, what’s the deal?

Because kratom is banned in Los Angeles based on health agency enforcement of food and safety laws rather than direct legislative action, some shops argue the policy lacks formal regulatory footing. So independent smoke shops, stores, and online vendors continue to sell kratom.

Orange County Cities Are Coming After Kratom Too

While Orange County hasn’t followed suit with Los Angeles in outright declaring kratom is not legal, many cities are cracking down. 

• Stanton, Tustin, and Newport Beach adopted ordinances banning the sale of kratom.
• Huntington Beach, Laguna Niguel, and Buena Park adopted ordinances banning the sale, distribution, or possession of kratom.
• Orange officials unanimously banned kratom in early 2026.
• Anaheim is taking steps toward a ban, having approved a second reading of an ordinance banning the sale, distribution, or possession of kratom.

Quality Matters When It Comes to Kratom

Though kratom is not currently legal in Los Angeles, there are still important quality considerations for your existing kratom products and future purchases. 

First, always buy kratom from a reputable retailer like The Kratom Company. Some retailers may include unwanted additives in their products, posing risks to enthusiasts. We source our premium-quality kratom from reliable Southeast Asian growers.  

It’s also crucial that you buy kratom powder and products that have been lab-tested, with readily available results for customers to view. Lab test results verify your products are free from heavy metals, additives, and other harmful contaminants. 

 Have more questions? Contact our knowledgeable industry pros at The Kratom Company! For changes elsewhere in the country, follow our kratom legal updates.