Gov. Healey does the right thing to ban kratom

The decision last week by Gov. Maura Healey and the Mass. Dept. of Public Health to issue an order classifying kratom as a Schedule 1 drug, thereby effectively banning the sale of kratom products, removes a dangerous and highly-addictive substance from store shelves in our state.

Kratom is derived from the leaves of a tree in Southeast Asia, where it has been used medicinally in its natural form for hundreds of years with a low degree of dependency when used in moderation.

However, in this country, kratom products flooding convenience and other stores bear little resemblance to that traditional herb. Instead, manufacturers are distributing highly-potent extract powders, tablets, and gummies that isolate and concentrate kratom’s active alkaloid, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).

Because these commercial products have been completely unregulated, consumers have had no way of knowing the dosage or chemical purity of what they are ingesting. It is these hyper-concentrated products that lead rapidly to dependency, severe withdrawal, and an elevated risk of overdose—especially among curious children and teenagers.

A number of cities and towns across the state, most recently Revere, already have taken matters into their own hands by banning the sale of kratom products in their communities.

However, local ordinances create a patchwork defense that allows buyers to simply drive to the next town over. Governor Healey’s sweeping statewide ban establishes a uniform line of defense, ensuring that these unpredictable and hazardous products can no longer target the health and safety of our youth anywhere in the Commonwealth.