Missoula County will prohibit retail food businesses from selling kratom beginning next month, with enforcement starting during routine health inspections after Nov. 2.

The Missoula city-county health department sent notice to retail food establishments on Sept. 25. The department visited 23 businesses in late August and found kratom products for sale at 12 of them.

Businesses Covered

The businesses selling kratom included convenience stores, casinos, a small grocery store and an herb store. Products included teas, energy shots, seltzers, gummies, tablets and powders.

The restriction applies to retail food businesses but does not cover dispensaries, vape shops or other types of businesses. Some retailers raised concerns about whether enforcement would be applied evenly.

Shannon Therriault said kratom is unregulated and can be addictive. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom products as either over-the-counter or prescription drugs and has deemed kratom an unsafe food additive.

“I’m happy we have the ability to restrict it in retail food [businesses], but it’s still a community health concern,” Jeanna Miller said.

State and Regional Context

Montana recorded 29 overdose deaths involving kratom between 2020 and 2025. The Montana Legislature did not enact kratom regulations during its 2025 session.

The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council banned kratom sales, use and possession on the tribe’s reservation last September. In Yellowstone County, RiverStone Health began prohibiting kratom sales in retail food establishments in January and sued four businesses in May to stop sales.

Therriault said lawmakers will likely discuss kratom again during the upcoming legislative session.