On Tuesday, February 3rd, the city council in Tupelo, Mississippi voted unanimously to ban the possession and sale of kratom.
The push to ban kratom in Tupelo began in January 2026 with a petition organized by two local citizens. The movement was supported by an alliance between Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green and Jamie Concaid, the owner of Bishop’s Barbecue.
By January 20, Tupelo City Council discussed a possible ban, which led to the February 3rd vote. Local businesses have 30 days from the day of the vote to take all kratom products off their shelves.
Jamie Concaid, who battled a past addiction, characterized kratom as a “gateway drug” and “gas station heroin” that could be habit forming at an early age. Coroner Carolyn Green reported overdose deaths in Lee County where kratom was found in combination with other drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl.
As usual, “kratom” was used as a blanket term, with no effort to distinguish stronger extracts and semi-synthetic products from traditional plain leaf kratom.
While the city claimed that the ban is intended to protect public health, specific details regarding the exact fines or legal consequences for possession or use within Tupelo city limits were not immediately available at the time of the announcement.
Approximately 100,000 Mississippians are estimated to use kratom. Thus far, attempts to ban kratom statewide have failed.
Before Tupelo’s action, at least 11 counties and 24 cities in Mississippi had already enacted outright bans. For a time, Tupelo and Lee County had been notable exceptions where kratom remained legal for those over 21.
Mississippi Counties Where Kratom is Banned*
- Alcorn County
- Calhoun County
- Itawamba County
- Lowndes County
- Monroe County
- Noxubee County
- Pearl River County
- Prentiss County
- Tippah County
- Tishomingo County
- Union County
Mississippi Cities Where Kratom is Banned*
- Belmont
- Blue Mountain
- Booneville
- Bruce
- Burnsville
- Caledonia
- Calhoun City
- Columbus
- Corinth
- Derma
- Fulton
- Guntown
- Iuka
- Mantachie
- Marietta
- New Albany
- Okolona
- Oxford
- Pontotoc
- Ripley
- Saltillo
- Senatobia
- Tishomingo
- Tupelo
- Vardaman
*This list may not be comprehensive. Please check local ordinances