Springfield City Councilor Sean Curran argues in favor of passing a ban on synthetic kratom and leaving enforcement to the city’s executive branch.
Photo credit: Focus Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — After a spirited debate on Dec. 8 regarding changes to Springfield’s cannabis ordinance and how the distance from a school is measured, the three proposed amendments sailed through the City Council with little opposition at its Dec. 15 meeting.
The amendments allowed medical cannabis to be sold by businesses that currently sell adult-use recreational cannabis and adjusted the zones in which medical cannabis can be sold. Another amendment changed the method of measuring the 500-foot buffer zone between dispensaries and schools. Instead of measuring from one property line to the other, it measures from the door of the dispensary to the entrance of the school. This change brings the city into alignment with how the state measures such buffer zones.
At the previous meeting, only councilors Tracye Whitfield, Lavar Click-Bruce and Jose Delgado were in favor of the change, as it would allow EMBR, 461 Boston Road, to expand its parking. Whitfield made the case that the neighborhood wanted the dispensary to expand its parking, as traffic had become an issue. When the vote was taken, however, only councilors Malo Brown and Melvin Edwards voted against the change.
Meanwhile, a ban on synthetic kratom, a substance with opioid-like effects, which passed the first round of voting unanimously, was derailed at the last minute. Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris spoke against the proposed ordinance because the city does not have the means to test products for the synthetic compound 7-OH, as the regulations call for. Further, she said the language does not make a clear distinction between products made from the kratom leaf and those made with 7-OH.
“We all agree that it needs to be taken out,” Caulton-Harris said, but insisted that she was against passing unenforceable ordinances. Instead, she suggested working with the state and the federal Food and Drug Administration, both of which, she said, are working on banning synthetic kratom.
Councilor Sean Curran, who had spearheaded the ban, pushed back. He said it is the council’s role to pass ordinances and the executive branch’s role to “figure out” how to enforce them.
Curran said banning the substance will “show leadership” to the state in its efforts to regulate the products and “send a message” to gas station owners that the city will not tolerate the manufacture or sale of synthetic kratom.
When asked for an opinion from the Law Department, attorney Ken Shea said, “It would behoove the council not to pass something that cannot be enforced. Councilor Victor Davila said he was “shocked” the issue had not been caught beforehand.
Brown asked if the City Council could create and fund a department to perform the testing. Shea said the council had the authority to do so, but it could not be done during the meeting as it was not on the agenda.
Brown said Caulton-Harris “does a fantastic job” and opined that her department needs more funding, but said that was “not an excuse” not to “get the ball rolling” on the ordinance and work on the enforcement afterward.
Councilor Kateri Walsh acknowledged that Curran “really just wants to protect the citizens,” but suggested the ordinance be sent to committee so the enforcement component could be worked out.
Curran was adamantly against sending the matter to committee and said that the ordinance would “die there” and even if it did not, it would take at least a year to bring it back. He urged his colleagues to vote to pass the ordinance. He said 7-OH was a “gateway drug,” before declaring, “We’re going to have dead kids.”
Davila asked if there were deaths directly attributable to 7-OH. Curran relayed that a state police trooper had told him 7-OH was appearing in the systems of people who had overdosed. However, Whitfield looked up the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s data on the matter and said 7-OH had been present in the systems of 68 overdose deaths since the start of 2024, and other drugs were also present in nearly all those cases.
Referring to the meeting being the last of Curran’s term, Whitfield said, “It is irresponsible to move fast because someone is leaving the council.”
The council voted 7-6 to refer the ordinance to the General Government Committee.
Goodbyes
As it was the last City Council meeting of the year, each of the councilors took time to say goodbye to their two outgoing members, Curran and Tim Allen. Fenton described Curran as a “dedicated public servant” with “vision, integrity and a deep sense of responsibility.” Similarly, Davila said to Curran, “You always put Springfield first.”
Curran received a standing ovation and received a plaque. “I appreciate all of you,” he said to his colleagues. “It’s been great standing shoulder to shoulder with you.”
Allen was also given a plaque and standing ovation. Fenton spoke of Allen’s “intelligence,” “compassion” and “unwavering dedication to dialog,” as well as the “key role” he has played in the city’s budget process and fiscal responsibilities. Whitfield said she respected that Allen always voted his conscience, even when it was not a popular opinion.
As it was after 9:30 p.m., Allen joked, “Hell of a last meeting. If you wanted me not to leave, you got to have shorter meetings.” He spoke about his lifelong desire to run for political office and his family’s legacy of public service. Mostly, though, he urged people to be kind, saying, “It’s all about how people treat each other, with respect and kindness.”
