MASSACHUSETTS KRATOM BAN: ACT WITHIN THE 14-DAY WINDOW NOW

On August 13, 2026, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced that Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD has issued an emergency order placing all forms of kratom into Schedule I under Massachusetts law. The order takes effect after a 14-day notice period and can remain in place for up to one year. It gives local boards of health and municipal officials additional authority to take enforcement action against retailers selling kratom products.

The next 14 days matter. Once this order takes effect, Massachusetts consumers lose legal access to natural kratom — and the fight gets much harder. Act now

Important Notice for Massachusetts Customers

The emergency order has a 14-day notice period before taking effect. Massachusetts customers can still place orders during this window. We are closely monitoring the situation and will communicate any changes to shipping status as soon as the order takes effect. We encourage all Massachusetts customers to take action now during this critical 14-day window.

Take Action Now

Step 1 — Contact Governor Healey and DPH Commissioner Goldstein:

🔗 Use the action form: protectkratom.org/massachusetts

📞 Call Governor Healey's office: (617) 725-4005

📋 Read the Governor's full statement: mass.gov/news/governor-healey-takes-action-to-protect-young-people-and-residents-from-dangerous-kratom-products

Tell them: "Oppose the blanket scheduling of natural kratom leaf. Narrow the order to target highly concentrated and laboratory-modified kratom products only — not natural kratom leaf."

Step 2 — Contact Your Massachusetts State Legislators:

🔍 Find your legislator: malegislature.gov/StateHouse/Contact

Urge them to pass the Kratom Consumer Protection Act — real regulation with product testing, labeling, and age restrictions — instead of a blanket prohibition.

What to Say

Share your personal story — how natural kratom has helped you and what losing legal access would mean for you and your family. Personal stories move officials more than anything else. Use this as a guide:

"Please oppose the blanket scheduling of natural kratom leaf. The Governor's own press release acknowledges that newer, highly concentrated and laboratory-modified kratom products carry significantly stronger risks — that is exactly the distinction that matters. Natural kratom leaf should not be treated the same as dangerous synthetic concentrates. Support the Kratom Consumer Protection Act — real regulation with age restrictions, testing, and labeling — instead of a blanket prohibition that criminalizes responsible adults."

What the Emergency Order Does — and Where It Gets It Wrong

Governor Healey's press release frames all kratom products as dangerous and largely unregulated. The concern about youth access and unregulated products is understandable — and it is one that responsible kratom advocates share. But the order's own language contains the very distinction that makes a blanket ban the wrong approach.

The press release explicitly acknowledges that newer kratom products contain highly concentrated or laboratory-modified compounds that can have significantly stronger opioid-like effects. That distinction — between natural kratom leaf and highly concentrated or laboratory-modified products — is exactly what responsible advocates have been making for years. And it is exactly the distinction this emergency order ignores by sweeping all forms of kratom into Schedule I under the same prohibition.

The federal government has taken targeted action against dangerous, chemically manipulated synthetic 7-OH products. Massachusetts has gone further — applying a blanket Schedule I classification to all forms of kratom, including natural kratom leaf, without drawing the distinction that even its own press release acknowledges exists.

Schedule I classification places natural kratom leaf in the same category as the most dangerous controlled substances. It means that tens of thousands of Massachusetts adults who use natural kratom safely and responsibly today could face criminal consequences simply for possessing a botanical product they purchased legally — consequences that go far beyond what the evidence supports for natural kratom leaf specifically.

Kratom advocates have taken this message directly to Washington. In a recent Congressional briefing, advocates urged lawmakers to support natural kratom leaf products while warning of the distinct risks posed by synthetic concentrates — reinforcing the same distinction that federal regulators have already drawn. Read more: Kratom Advocates Brief U.S. Congress in Support of Natural Leaf Products, Warn of the Risks Posed by Synthetics.

As research discussed on the Huberman Lab podcast makes clear, natural kratom leaf has a distinct profile that sets it apart from synthetic concentrates. That distinction was further reinforced by an FDA clinical trial — the first of its kind — which examined kratom's pharmacological profile and underscored why natural leaf should not be treated the same as dangerous synthetic 7-OH. For the latest on kratom legality in Massachusetts and other states, visit our kratom legality map. Learn more about kratom legality and regulation nationwide.

Why the Next 14 Days Are Critical

The emergency order has a 14-day notice period before it takes effect. That window is the most critical period for consumer advocacy. Once the order takes effect, Massachusetts consumers lose legal access to natural kratom and the fight becomes significantly harder.

The AKA legislative team is actively working to counteract this order. Consumer voices in the next 14 days are critical — every call to the Governor's office, every message sent through protectkratom.org/massachusetts, and every personal story shared with a state legislator adds to the pressure on decision-makers to reconsider.

This is also a national moment. Massachusetts is not the only state watching. What happens here in the next 14 days sends a signal to governors and health departments across the country about whether emergency orders targeting natural kratom leaf will be met with organized, effective consumer opposition.

Contact Governor Healey's office at (617) 725-4005. Take action at protectkratom.org/massachusetts. Contact your state legislators at malegislature.gov/StateHouse/Contact. Share your personal story. The 14-day window is open now. Act today.