Lee's Summit is joining Kansas City in tightening rules on kratom and certain cannabinoids, expanding a push to rein in a fast-growing market of unregulated intoxicants.

Why it matters: What you can legally buy now varies across the metro, as cities move faster than Missouri and Kansas to regulate drugs that are sold in gas stations and smoke shops.

State of play: State law does not clearly regulate many of these products, allowing intoxicants like delta-8 THC or products containing 7-OH, a compound derived from kratom that acts like an opioid, to be sold without the testing, labeling or age restrictions required for marijuana sold in licensed dispensaries.

Context: Kratom comes from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. It's usually sold as powders, capsules and teas, but also in more concentrated forms like gummies that are widely available.

Zoom in: KC's ordinance targets kratom and bans synthetic 7-OH and restricts natural kratom to adults 21 and older, while requiring sellers to get a license.

• Lee's Summit went further, voting last week to restrict high-potency kratom products, intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids like delta-8 and delta-10 and nitrous oxide sold for recreational use, according to city ordinance records.

The other side: "This bill is throwing the baby out with the bath water," Rachel Crawford, who owns Rustic Oils in Lee's Summit, told Axios regarding the banning of cannabinoids.

• Crawford says customers call daily, worried about losing access to products they rely on for pain, including seniors and people in recovery.
• She worries that she may have to close her store after eight years in business, as more than 60% of her sales come from hemp-derived products.

Zoom out: At least 24 states regulate kratom or its compounds in some way, with some banning it outright and others focusing on restrictions for high-potency products like 7-OH.

Reality check: These rules are still rolling out. The KC ordinance goes into effect on April 13, and Lee's Summit's date has not been publicly specified.

• Similar products remain available in nearby cities without restrictions, making it easy for buyers to go elsewhere.

What's next: Lawmakers on both sides of the border are working on setting statewide rules.

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Millions of birds are about to make Kansas City a pit stop on their annual spring journey north — often to their demise.

Why it matters: Our feathery friends are especially susceptible to big city lights during their nocturnal flights, leading to thousands of deaths locally each year as they become disoriented and crash into buildings.

Driving the news: Bird movement is heating up, with 82 million birds taking to the skies across the country, with major concentrations in Missouri, per BirdCast.

Context: Missouri lies within the Mississippi Flyway, one of the heaviest bird migration paths in the world.

• State migration advocates point to a 2019 study that says KC is the seventh deadliest city in the country for birds in the spring.

Zoom in: Bird Safe KC, a volunteer organization that compiles reports of bird deaths as a result of building collisions, found that the T-Mobile Center, the KC Star building and towers around Crown Center have been the most strike-prone locations downtown since 2019.

State of play: 6th District Councilmember Johnathan Duncan will introduce a special action tomorrow to recognize April 13–20 as Dark Sky Week, a symbolic resolution that encourages responsible outdoor lighting.

• Dark Sky International says responsible lighting looks like low, warm-colored lights that point down and are used sparingly.

Zoom out: Chicago, which is the deadliest city for birds, launched a Lights Out Campaign in 1995 in which buildings 40 floors and higher opt to turn off their lights from 11pm until sunrise.

Travis' thought bubble: I always like seeing downtown KC lit up, but maybe for Dark Sky Week, it can collectively power down.

✈️ KCI has a new nonstop United flight to LAX. That means KC has direct flights to every one of the airline's eight airport hubs. (Press release)

• Meanwhile, Delta raised its prices today on checked luggage for domestic flights to $45 for the first bag, $55 for the second and $200 for the third. (Axios)

🏡 A federal appeals court let stand Shawnee's co-living ban, which prohibits more than three non-family members from living in the same house. (Johnson County Post)

🛒 The Midtown Costco appears poised for long-term changes, which could include getting rid of the food court and becoming a business center. (Kansas City Star)

Pedestrians this weekend took a stroll through an active construction zone, moving aside barricades to access a pedestrian bridge down to the riverfront.

Why it matters: It's not open yet, city officials tell Axios, although the concrete is set and the bridge is stable.

Zoom in: The Grand Boulevard pedestrian and bike bridge will connect the River Market and Berkley Riverfront, a long-awaited link that's nearing the end of construction.

Driving the news: After crowds thronged the area this weekend for the KC Current game, a post on X showed people walking on the path and fences moved aside.

What they're saying: "Crews are aware that barricades were moved over the weekend and that people were walking on it," Public Works officer Ryan McMonigle tells Axios, adding that "tighter" barriers will be put in place.

• McMonigle says the barricades exist "to ensure resident safety and to prevent any damage to the project" as it moves toward completion.

What's next: Crews are working to finish up the fencing, add lighting and fill in landscaping.

• The path is expected to open sometime this spring.