[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6236037,"mediaKeyId","3390886-ee0fc48bdec1d1f66963758983dc0910","parentId",3390886,"title","Northampton health board to explore kratom regulation after public testimony of consumer benefit and safety concerns","audioSeconds",5833,"startMs",226000,"endMs",6059000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3390886-ee0fc48bdec1d1f66963758983dc0910&start=226&end=6059","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3390886-ee0fc48bdec1d1f66963758983dc0910/thumbnail_226000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6236037/Massachusetts/Northampton-health-board-to-explore-kratom-regulation-after-public-testimony-of-consumer-benefit-and-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236037-9de5d6b07524a094dc93935cfca3c1ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442741&Signature=P48WY~t5v6HyzHi3P336uOYqgpYGvwvgXmoTeyfT1XpFT1bxmPIq3hPdbOEgkXBTlL6Eck438mbS~Gs2inIHqo6RjkkHOBklYD5uvZdYc85HlYffXOE7n7~8KCI6G~Qz8PhRORrSx2hiDII6W~NuAFqwCk9zcDJaUMZGZ4TIpjgeBUGnxJNeeAvv11RpUb-YFzJASBMEJp-qpA6He-GIDgaQTYRbTzBEBmWI2PXSQFGrExHC5OhF2omJ1Yj-Al6Gy4uZLzeaipr0WxEKKrp5kxveEdfcHLy6juCaJjiFlPCwksvtqDdPNza5m7-3IKsP1BLcYiyM6nMv2Orh1wMn7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northampton City, MA","date","2025-05-19T19:49:07Z","article","Dozens of public commenters told the Northampton Board of Health that kratom is a life‑saving, plant‑based treatment for chronic pain and addiction-recovery support, while board members and legal counsel described a mixed scientific and regulatory picture and asked for technical briefings before making regulatory decisions.

The lede: Amanda Rainer, a resident and kratom user, told the board she has used kratom for eight years and credited it with replacing more than 50,000 prescribed pharmaceutical pills and improving her health. “I am asking you to please allow me and allow everyone else here, whether they use it for sobriety, they use it to manage their day to day life,” Rainer said during the public-comment segment.

The nut graf: The board heard several consistent themes — powerful personal testimony of benefit; concerns about adulterated products, concentrated formulations and synthetics; existing state-level variability (some towns have bans or restrictions); and limited federal action that leaves much regulatory authority to states and local health boards.

Public commenters included people who described long-term kratom use tied to recovery or chronic-pain management. Andrea Heickert said her brother and sister survived fentanyl/carfentanil overdoses and that kratom supported long-term sobriety for family members. “It is because of Kratom's ability to take the place of high profit pharmaceuticals and be used as an exit substance,” Dylan Smith said. Advocates urged regulation rather than a ban, proposing age limits and placing kratom behind counters.

Suzanne Smith (board member) summarized state context and scientific uncertainty. Suzanne told the board she found conflicting data and cited CDC and news analyses: according to presented figures, the CDC-linked review identified kratom as a contributing factor in more than 4,000 overdose deaths from 2022 to 2024 (about 1.4% of overdoses in that period), while a 2022 review of 30 states found only 56 deaths solely attributable to kratom in that year and that many kratom‑involved fatalities also included other substances.

The board discussed enforcement options used in other towns. Cheryl Sabara (Massachusetts Association of Health Boards) noted that Needham and other municipalities regulate or ban synthetic cannabinoids and that Needham has regulated synthetic kratom; she also recommended age restrictions and behind‑the‑counter sales as a minimum approach. Amy (health staff) reported local retail-survey results showing kratom in a small number of outlets with retail prices ranging from about $9 to $90 and a mix of powders, capsules, tablets and liquids; some adult-only stores kept kratom behind counters.

Board members agreed on a next step: invite independent scientific presenters, including people familiar with the Kratom Consumer Protection Act and industry testing standards, to brief the board on dosing, contaminants, and certification processes before any regulatory action. The board did not vote on a ban or a regulatory amendment; rather, members asked staff to identify experts from the American Kratom Association or other testing bodies and return with materials at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Health | May 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After extensive public comment from local and national advocates describing kratom’s role in pain management and recovery, the Northampton Board of Health agreed to gather scientific information, study state models and invite experts before considering local rules such as age limits and behind‑the‑counter requirements.","taxTitle","Northampton City, Hampshire County, Massachusetts","taxId",68541,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6236042,"Northampton health board hears state and local options as delta-8, delta-10 products proliferate",3032,1638000,4670000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3390886-ee0fc48bdec1d1f66963758983dc0910&start=1638&end=4670","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3390886-ee0fc48bdec1d1f66963758983dc0910/thumbnail_1638000.jpg","/articles/6236042/Massachusetts/Northampton-health-board-hears-state-and-local-options-as-delta-8-delta-10-products-proliferate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236042-36464993fdace5d761fee5f156b53d5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442741&Signature=dZ79GG4BB~z9qDhYjVFUHlCgjaAAF~bFDZBetYs1elhg0TSiY0NCAujnFL3V44VWxQDbC7Trqe8MA0XBrKnIbx1WP2qmA2EuZnWjkMXpBJmV0SlN1qY1~WjkD59UYSk3LVAk5Mh-TRRaRbpPAYqOHWZDHYo~nidqx0CCwgMxAbA5z2Tf2yBpe7CgGSUyX018fY0ZKaCGMLDJT6nSaC~g6c6R-OsNxKiX4ne7yw~J0SyBjhWZHJc4t9fvRZyhvmgtd9Cttlzvzj9ZNvLWfcpeBwt1QqdhQrbRMYYpiY~vfiohuIcIlmEfiuaVcngg69UUY3lisctlP9Csb474f-jidA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cheryl Sabara, executive director and senior staff attorney at the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, told the Northampton Board of Health on a Zoom meeting that commercially sold delta-8 and delta-10 products are proliferating in convenience stores and come in high-potency forms such as gummies and shelf-stable snacks.

Sabara said the emergence of these products stems from a federal definition of hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill and that manufacturers exploit that definition to market synthetically derived cannabinoids as “hemp-derived.” “The plain meaning of that federal definition is that anything that has a delta‑9 concentration of not more than 0.3% is by definition hemp,” Sabara said. She added that many commercial products are made by converting minor cannabinoids into more intoxicating isomers in uncertified labs and that tests have found unknown contaminants and acetic acid in some samples.

The nut graf: Local health departments have multiple, imperfect enforcement paths — food-code violations for adulterated food and local retail permits for shelf-stable products, tobacco-control enforcement for flavored vapes, or criminal enforcement under state controlled-substance law — but none provides a complete solution for products sold openly in convenience stores.

Board members and staff discussed specific enforcement options. Amy (staff member) told the board that Northampton’s retail permits cover shelf-stable foods such as chips and drinks, which would allow inspectors to cite adulterated food if delta‑8 or delta‑10 is present in those items. Sabara noted that edible products infused with hemp-derived cannabinoids are considered adulterated under Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Agricultural Resources guidance and that the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has also issued guidance limiting THC beverage sales to licensed cannabis establishments.

Sabara summarized testing and public-health concerns cited by state labs and the Cannabis Control Commission: “When they tested these synthetic isomer products, they found acetic acid and between 15 to 30 unknown contaminants,” she said, and warned that many items are marketed in formats attractive to youth, increasing accidental exposures. She cited poison-control data and high-potency product labels in her presentation.

Board members asked how enforcement is working locally. Amy said a 2023 compliance check of 22 establishments found few delta‑8/delta‑10 products after prior outreach, suggesting education and written guidance had reduced visible retail availability. Sabara recommended multiple tactics: (1) use the food code and local retail-permit authority where applicable, (2) consider local prohibitions or permit-based restrictions where permitted, (3) engage law enforcement for controlled-substance enforcement where appropriate, and (4) request state or attorney-general assistance for online sales and lab testing support.

Board members discussed whether to pursue a local regulation or rely on existing statutes. Sabara noted that some municipalities (Needham, Beverly, Lynn, Belchertown) have adopted bans or local regulations to restrict sale and that state legislation proposing a statewide prohibition and a health-protection fund has been filed. The board did not adopt a regulation at the meeting but agreed to monitor the issue and use the food-code enforcement tools where products were found.

The discussion concluded with staff guidance to continue retail inspections and to use existing permit authority and the DPH/MDAR guidance to pursue noncompliant products. The board did not take a formal vote on new local regulation at the meeting and asked staff to report back if products reappear on shelves.","City health officials heard a detailed briefing on hemp-derived synthetic cannabinoids — commonly sold as delta-8 or delta-10 — and discussed using existing food-code enforcement and local permits while urging state and attorney-general action.","actionData","errors"]

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Northampton health board to explore kratom regulation after public testimony of consumer benefit and safety concerns

Northampton health board hears state and local options as delta-8, delta-10 products proliferate