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POTTSVILLE, Pa. — October 14, 2026. Pottsville City Council is considering a proposed ordinance that would regulate and prohibit certain activities involving a broad list of substances and products, including kratom, tianeptine, synthetic cannabinoids and phenibut.

The measure is identified as Bill 32/2026. According to the City of Pottsville’s public notice, it received its first reading on October 12, with a second reading scheduled for November 9, 2026. The distinction matters: this is a proposed ordinance, not an already enacted city law.

What substances are named?

The city’s description lists synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, tianeptine, kratom and its alkaloids, certain synthetic or semi-synthetic hemp-derived cannabinoids, phenibut and nitrous oxide when intended for specified human-consumption or recreational purposes.

Those are not identical substances, and they should not be characterized as having the same chemistry, medical effects or legal status under existing state and federal law. What connects them in this story is that the city has grouped them within the language of this particular proposal.

What would the proposed ordinance do?

Bill 32/2026 proposes adding Chapter 199 to the city code. Its text addresses the sale, distribution, manufacturing and production of substances within its defined category. The publicly available draft also describes penalties for violations, including a fine of up to $300 per offense and potential imprisonment for up to 90 days, depending on the outcome of proceedings.

Those details describe the draft as written. They do not mean the city has started issuing penalties under this proposal, and the final ordinance could be amended before enactment.

What reasons does the city give?

The proposal’s introductory language expresses concerns about products sold in concentrated, modified or adulterated forms and about public health and safety. These are the city’s stated concerns, not an independently verified count of local medical emergencies or a finding about every product in the broad category.

Residents and business operators may have questions about how the proposed definitions apply in practice, whether some products would be affected differently, and how the city would enforce the rules. Those are appropriate questions to raise during the legislative process.

When could the measure take effect?

The draft provides for an effective date 10 days after adoption. Because City Council has not yet reached the scheduled second reading, the date of any final adoption—and therefore any effective date—has not been established.

How residents and businesses can follow the proposal

• Read the city’s announcement and the complete draft rather than relying on a summary alone.
• Watch the agenda for the November 9 City Council meeting.
• Ask the city about definitions, enforcement and any proposed exemptions.
• Check whether revisions are introduced before a final vote.
• Seek professional legal advice if a business sells items that may be affected.

The next milestone is the scheduled November reading. Until a final vote occurs, headlines describing the proposal as an enacted ban would be premature.

Sources: City of Pottsville official October 2026 ordinance notice; public mirror of Bill 32/2026, labeled as an unofficial copy.

Featured photo: Michael D Beckwith / Unsplash. Illustrative civic/government image; it is not a photograph of the Pottsville council session.