Health departments in Easthampton and Northampton are reacting to a recent state decision last month that classifies kratom as a Schedule I Controlled Substance in Massachusetts.
The ruling was made as part of an emergency order by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health.
The action addresses public health concerns associated with kratom products and their availability within Massachusetts. Announced by Gov. Maura Healey on Aug. 13, it serves to restrict the sale of kratom across the state and provide new efforts in educating the public about the health risks, as well as connecting people with treatment and recovery services.
The Northampton Department of Health and Human Services had already been addressing concerns regarding kratom and other unregulated intoxicating products locally dating back to last year. Having been ahead of the curve in recognizing the emerging public health concerns associated with these products, the Northampton Board of Health adopted regulations prohibiting the sale of kratom and other unregulated intoxicating products in 2025.
DHHS Health Commissioner Merridith O’Leary told Reminder Publishing she was pleased to see the state act on the issue. The driving force in the city’s efforts dating back to 2025 came from reports about the product increasingly appearing in convenience stores, smoke shops and gas stations, while being described as legal or “designer” street drugs.
One event in particular prompted the city to take a closer look, O’Leary added, saying that DHHS received a report from a Hampshire County Police Department involving a young adult who reportedly overdosed after using a kratom product that had been purchased at a retail store in Northampton. The report served as a catalyst for the department to begin assessing the scope of the issue and better understand exactly what products were being sold in the community.
“From our perspective in Northampton, we had already seen firsthand how widely available these products had become and how little oversight existed over their sale. Kratom products were being sold in convenience stores, smoke shops and other retail locations in a variety of forms, often without meaningful safeguards or clear information for consumers about what they were purchasing,” O’Leary said. “We began a much more comprehensive process. We reviewed the products being sold locally, examined their labeling and listed active ingredients, researched what was known about their potential health effects, and looked at how other communities and states were responding.”
Kratom had been widely sold in smoke shops, convenience stores and gas stations in different forms such as powders, tablets, capsules and more. These products have been unregulated and can vary significantly in potency and ingredients, making it difficult for customers to know what they are purchasing or the potential health risks, according to health officials.
Associated side effects of kratom use can include sedation, confusion, hallucinations, respiratory depression, kidney and liver injury, and cardiac problems. Regular kratom use can also lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms similar to opioid withdrawal.
Under state law, it is unlawful to possess or sell a Schedule I Controlled Substance without a state Controlled Substances Registration. Accordingly, as of the effective date of the order, the possession, distribution or sale of kratom in the state is illegal, and any person in violation is subject to imprisonment or a fine.
In Northampton, the Board of Health adopted a regulation addressing the sale and distribution of kratom products. Since then, DHHS health inspectors have conducted compliance checks with local retailers to help ensure that prohibited products are not sold in the city.
Northampton’s regulation included broader language addressing unregulated novel intoxicating products to provide the Board of Health with a tool to respond more quickly to future instances of potentially harmful, mind-altering products appearing on local shelves.
O’Leary explained that the state’s action is important because it creates a more consistent approach across Massachusetts, as municipal boundaries can only accomplish so much; without statewide regulation, consumers can purchase the same products in a neighboring community.
“I also believe it is critically important that the state’s response recognizes the potential impact on people who are currently using kratom or may be dependent on it,” O’Leary said. “This cannot simply be approached as an enforcement issue. Our colleagues at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services are communicating with healthcare providers about the changes and encouraging them to anticipate a potential increase in patients presenting with kratom-related withdrawal symptoms and requests for treatment for kratom-related substance use disorder.”
O’Leary added that the public health response is incredibly important because if access to a product changes, the state and municipalities must also be prepared to support those who depend on the drug.
“The state’s approach recognizes that enforcement, education, prevention, treatment and recovery support all need to work together,” O’Leary said. “Ultimately, our approach was driven by a public health concern: when products with potentially significant intoxicating effects are being sold in everyday retail settings without meaningful safety standards, clear labeling, age restrictions, or other safeguards, local communities need the ability to assess the risk and take action to protect their residents.”
Easthampton Director of Public Health Ryan Griffin told Reminder Publishing that as recently as April of this year, a community health worker brought a kratom memo and literature to the Board of Health for their consideration on local kratom regulations once the city updated tobacco regulations were finalized.
“Prior to this emergency order, effective Aug. 28, kratom products, although not heavily sold in Easthampton, had no age restriction or oversight. That was a specific concern as we implement our Nicotine-Free Generation policy, going into effect Sept. 10, that a side effect of the new tobacco regulations could be an increase in kratom sales and supply, as retailers under the NFG age cutoff look for alternatives, and kratom products often target youth consumers,” Griffin said.
Griffin added that the state Department of Public Health has linked nearly 100 deaths in the state to kratom since 2020. Nationally, poison center exposure reports tied to kratom rose about 1,200% over the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“That’s why I believe this emergency ban was necessary and appropriate for the interim, until Massachusetts implements proper oversight and regulation on the sale of these products,” Griffin said. “Once the state’s order was announced, we sent a memo out to our local tobacco establishments explaining the emergency order and what it means for them. Our food and tobacco inspectors are aware the order takes effect on the 28th and will be looking for kratom products as part of their routine food and tobacco inspections going forward.”
He added, “Protecting the public health of Easthampton residents is our core goal, and I believe proactive, evidence-based action is far more effective than a reactive approach. That said, a ban alone isn’t a complete solution. Limiting access has to go hand-in-hand with education and support, not stand in for it.”
Information on safety guidelines, how to stay connected to treatment, and general resources for the public, healthcare providers and municipalities can be accessed at www.mass.gov/kratom.
