Fulton County commissioners backed a resolution Thursday, Sept. 17, to ban synthetic kratom in Georgia. District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis, who represents Sandy Springs, sponsored the measure.

The resolution also calls for natural kratom products to be kept behind pharmacy counters, Ellis said in a post on X on Friday, Sept. 18.

"When altered, this widely available herb can pose serious addiction risks for our youth," Ellis wrote. "It's easy to find at gas stations, convenience stores & online."

Ellis's district covers Sandy Springs, Milton, Mountain Park and parts of Alpharetta and Roswell.

The exact vote count has not been published. Ellis wrote that his "fellow Commissioners" supported the measure, but official minutes from the Thursday, Sept. 17, meeting were not yet available as of Friday, Sept. 18.

Whether the resolution carries the force of law within Fulton County or serves as a formal request to the Georgia General Assembly remains unclear. If directed at the state legislature, the next opportunity for action would be the 2027 legislative session.

The resolution comes weeks after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) placed three synthetic opioids derived from kratom on Schedule I as of Aug. 26, according to Michigan Medicine. The three substances are mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16. All are now illegal to sell nationwide.

The DEA also reopened public comment on a proposed temporary Schedule I placement for products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound found in kratom at far higher concentrations in synthetic products than in natural leaves. That comment period closed Sept. 10.

Ellis credited two interns, Abbie Alexander and Vanley Boro, for researching the dangers of kratom products ahead of the vote.

No public statements from other commissioners or Sandy Springs retailers on the resolution appeared in public records as of Friday, Sept. 18.