In a response to Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano asking city staff to look into removing kratom from retail stores, a business owner and several local residents shared opinions about the matter. Another business owner wrote in to Ocala-News.com to share the following opinion:
Regarding the article about businesses wanting to sell Kratom (natural or not) complaining about City of Ocala Mayor Ben Marciano stance on the subject:
While I personally do not live in the city limits, my business is within the city limits. I can attest to the fact that we have had to “free up the future” for two employees and now counsel the third for coming to work impaired. These former and current employees can barely function.
When bringing their impairment to their attention, the argument is “I don’t use drugs (anymore).” Doing drugs isn’t the point, impairment is.
Kratom is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, dangerous for our community and dangerous for the liability of local businesses.
You are taking the right stance, Mayor Marciano. Please talk to the Marion County Commissioners for their support as well. Medical Marijuana is one thing, covered by physicians (but also barely), but these other things snuck into our community/country with really no responsibility borne by the sellers.
I really don’t care if there are rules that it cannot be sold to anyone under 18, are any of us fooled by that logic? Do they really think anyone underage can’t get around that?
Raising children to become decent and productive members of society is hard enough, now you are asking for parents to do it with their hands tied behind the parents back. You are asking for small businesses to support the community. Let us do that. Wake up, people.
Signing off as “Angry about stupid logic and people who think we are stupid”
Barbara Luider
City of Ocala Business Owner
Marion County resident since 1973
State of Florida Resident since 1965