BEVERLY, MA KRATOM BAN: OPPOSE THE PROPOSED BLANKET BAN

The Beverly, MA Board of Health is holding a public hearing this Wednesday, July 15 at 6:30 PM on proposed amendments that would ban the manufacture, distribution, and sale of all kratom products in the city — including natural leaf. The Board may vote the same night. There is no virtual option. If you are in or near Beverly, Massachusetts, showing up in person is the most important action you can take right now.

Take Action Now

📅 Wednesday, July 15
🕑 6:30 PM ET
📍 90 Colon Street, Beverly, MA 01915
⚠️ In-person only — no virtual option

Whether or not you can attend, write in before the hearing:
📧 health@beverlyma.gov

Contact board members directly:
📧 Laura Ricci, Director of Health — lricci@beverlyma.gov | 978-921-8591
📧 Pam Woodberry, Principal Clerk — pwoodberry@beverlyma.gov | 978-921-8591
📧 Mayor Michael Cahill — mayorcahill@beverlyma.gov | (978) 605-2333

What to Say

Write in your own words and lead with your personal story. What your life looked like before kratom, how you found it, and how it has made a difference — that is what local board members remember most. Use this as a starting point:

"Please oppose this blanket ban. It wrongly includes traditional natural kratom leaf alongside dangerous synthetic concentrated products like 7-OH. The DEA and the City of Boston have already drawn that distinction. Beverly, MA should follow their lead and support commonsense regulation — age limits, mandatory third-party testing, and labeling requirements — not a broad prohibition that sweeps up natural kratom leaf."

What the Proposed Amendments Would Do

The Beverly, MA Board of Health is considering amendments that would prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of all kratom products in the city. The proposal makes no distinction between natural kratom leaf and concentrated synthetic derivatives like 7-OH. Every kratom consumer in Beverly, Massachusetts — regardless of the product they use or how responsibly they use it — would lose access entirely if this passes.

The Board may vote the same night as the hearing. That makes this Wednesday the window to act.

Why Beverly, MA Should Follow the DEA and Boston's Lead

The science and the federal guidance both point in the same direction — and neither supports a blanket ban.

The DEA is already moving to schedule concentrated synthetic 7-OH as a Schedule I substance, specifically identifying it as the product that poses real public health risks. That targeted approach reflects exactly what the science shows: natural kratom leaf and synthetic concentrated derivatives are fundamentally different products. As the FDA has made clear, the line between natural kratom and 7-OH products is not a technicality — it is a meaningful scientific and regulatory distinction. Federal action has focused on the synthetics, not on the leaf.

The FDA's intent to add 7-hydroxymitragynine to Schedule I and the DEA's move to temporarily schedule 7-hydroxymitragynine both reinforce the same point: federal regulators are targeting the synthetic compound, not natural kratom leaf. The AHPA has similarly warned against labeling 7-hydroxymitragynine as kratom, and the FDA has targeted 7-OH specifically in a string of warning letters to producers. The direction of federal enforcement could not be clearer.

The City of Boston has taken the same approach at the local level, differentiating between natural kratom leaf and dangerous synthetic compounds rather than imposing a sweeping prohibition that ignores that distinction.

Beverly has the opportunity to follow that same commonsense framework. A blanket ban that lumps natural kratom leaf in with synthetic 7-OH concentrates does not protect consumers — it punishes them. The right approach is targeted regulation: age limits, mandatory third-party testing, and clear labeling that keeps dangerous synthetic products out of the marketplace while preserving access to natural kratom for responsible adults.

As research discussed on the Huberman Lab podcast and confirmed by a new kratom study focusing on the safety profile of natural kratom leaves makes clear, natural kratom leaf has a distinct profile that sets it apart from synthetic concentrates. Responsible regulation should reflect that reality. Learn more about kratom legality and regulation across the country on our kratom legality map.

The Bigger Picture

Local advocates have stopped bans in cities and counties across the country by showing up, speaking out, and sharing personal stories. The Beverly, MA hearing is this Wednesday at 6:30 PM and the Board may vote the same night. There is no virtual option. If you can be there, be there. If you cannot, write in to health@beverlyma.gov and contact board members directly before Wednesday.

For the latest on kratom legality in Beverly, MA and across the country, visit our kratom legality map.