Pearl River County leaders voted unanimously last week for an ordinance banning the sale of kratom. Kratom comes from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and has been used as herbal medicine since at least the 19th century. It also has opioid properties and some stimulating effects .It’s commonly sold in smoke shops and convenience stores, like at Pomp and Bees in Poplarville. “I know that they’re trying to take it off the market, but I don’t think that they should,” Mary Labruzzo told WLOX. Labruzzo is a store employee and said only taking half the pill helps with her arthritis and sciatic nerve. “It just takes whatever pain that I have. It just mellows it out, and then it’s just, I feel good and I can move again,” she said. “Then I can come to work and perform my job the way it needs to be performed.” However, other community members, like county deputy clerk Lauren Goar, are pushing for it to be prohibited. “It’s affecting our communities just as much as any other drug or...