September 13TH ALERT: Action Alert — Massachusetts
Boston City Council to Hold Kratom Hearing September 21 — Massachusetts Advocates, Your Voice Is Needed
The Boston City Council will hear testimony on kratom regulation on Monday, September 21. Known opponents of kratom will be there. If the Council hears from only one side, that is the side that will shape what Boston does next.
What's happening
The Boston City Council Committee on Public Health, Homelessness, and Recovery will hold a hearing on Docket #0175 regarding kratom regulation. The hearing will focus on how the City of Boston should proceed in light of the Governor's recent temporary ban on kratom in all forms, which expires in one year.
This is a critical hearing. Well-known anti-kratom voices are expected to testify. Advocates must show up in force — in person, virtually, and in writing — to make sure the Council hears the other side of the story.
Hearing details
Boston City Council — Committee on Public Health, Homelessness, and Recovery
Docket
#0175 — Hearing regarding kratom regulation
Date
Monday, September 21, 2026
Time
10:00 AM ET
Testimony
In person, virtual, and written testimony are all accepted
The public notice with sign-up details, location, and streaming information will be posted soon. Check this page and americankratom.org for updates.
The core message: don't act too quickly
Tell the Council: before you take permanent action, let the process play out.
The DEA is finalizing its rule on chemically manipulated 7-OH products. The federal government has already drawn the line between natural kratom leaf and chemically manipulated 7-OH products — let that process finish before Boston acts.
The state ban is temporary. The Governor's ban expires in one year. It was an emergency measure, not a permanent policy decision. Boston should not rush to make it permanent at the city level.
The Legislature is considering bills right now. State lawmakers are actively working on kratom legislation. Let them finish before the City takes permanent action that could conflict with or duplicate state law.
Let the federal and state process work. Before the City takes permanent action affecting products consumers use safely and responsibly, the people whose job it is to get this right should be allowed to finish.
What to tell them
Share your personal experience. Tell the Committee what natural kratom leaf means to you and what losing access would do.
Natural kratom leaf is not chemically manipulated 7-OH. They are fundamentally different products, and the DEA has already drawn that distinction.
The temporary state ban lumps everything together. That is exactly why permanent city action would be premature — the state has not finished its own process.
Be calm, specific, and respectful. One sentence about what kratom means to you is worth more than a policy argument.
