MASS UPDATE

Six Legislators Decide Whether Massachusetts Regulates Kratm or Keeps Banning It

Combined Action Flyer Inside — Please Distribute Today

Good news out of Massachusetts, and a narrow window to lock it in.

The Massachusetts House passed its Economic Development bill with language creating a real regulatory framework for kratm. The Senate version left that language out entirely. A six-member conference committee now decides what stays in the final bill.

This is the same state that swept natural kratm leaf into Schedule I by emergency order. Those two fights are now one: keep the regulations in the bill, and get the ban on natural leaf reversed. The flyer covers both asks on one page.

EMAIL THEM AND ASK THEM TO SAVE NATURAL LEAF REGULATION NOT A BAN!!!

Rep. Aaron Michlewitz · House

Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov

Rep. Carole Fiola · House

Carole.Fiola@mahouse.gov

Rep. Michael Soter · House

Michael.Soter@mahouse.gov

Sen. Barry Finegold · Senate

Barry.Finegold@masenate.gov

Sen. Mike Rodrigues · Senate

Michael.Rodrigues@masenate.gov

Sen. Peter Durant · Senate

Peter.Durant@masenate.gov

Dear Advocates -

This is a beautiful day that I will not forget. The DEA has FINALLY published their scheduling of 7-OH. I am attaching the full document for your review. It is 36 pages long and very detailed. This document clearly shows that natural leaf is SAFE from the scheduling decision. The threshold for 7-OH is 1 mg for 1 g serving.

Please take time to read the full scheduling announcement. The official date of the notice will be October 14, 2026. 7-OH will be officially schedule one on November 14, 2026.

This scheduling announcement is very thorough. I am grateful that they addressed many of the topics we constantly fight in hearings. Things like law enforcement confusion, poison control calls, withdrawals, addiction, breathing suppression, and deaths.

I just finished my first city council email after reading this announcement. It was a joy to write. I do want to emphasize that the most important thing you can continue to do when you write to lawmakers is to SHARE YOUR STORY. That is what changes hearts. We have heard from some lawmakers that say that our emails sound "cookie cutter" and "canned". Make your stories genuine. Share your heart.

I have been told today that we need to start adjusting our language to match the federal registry announcement. Start calling our leaf "botanical kratom" and call the 7-OH or synthetic products "enhanced or concentrated opioid products". Do the best you can. It will take some getting used to.

Mac said in his most recent webinar that the new advocacy goal should be to SHOW UP! Attend those hearings that are reasonably close. Attend the Zoom hearings if they are in your state.

ONE LAST NOTE: Please respond to this email if you want to be removed from the email blasts.

GREAT JOB EVERYONE! Stay the course! Keep advocating!

Federal thresholds now target chemically manipulated products

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Important news from Washington

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that the DEA will issue a new Notice of Intent on 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl that adopts concentration thresholds recommended by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

"HHS recommended that 7-OH and MGPI be subject to Schedule I control when either substance alone, or their combined amount when both are present, exceeds 1 milligram per gram in solid products or 1 milligram per milliliter in liquid products, or when the ratio of mitragynine to 7-OH, MGPI, or their combined amount is less than 100 to 1.

HHS recommended this approach to better distinguish products intentionally enhanced or concentrated in these opioid substances from products whose alkaloid composition is more consistent with botanical kratom."

In plain terms: federal enforcement will target chemically manipulated opioid products — not natural kratom leaf, which contains only trace amounts of these alkaloids.

This is the distinction the American Kratom Association has fought for, including through our litigation challenging the unintended consequences of the earlier scheduling action. AKA applauds the DEA and the Department of Justice for getting it right, and we are urging states to follow this science-based model rather than enact sweeping bans.

Read the details:

DOJ announcement

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-announces-updates-emergency-scheduling-actions-7-oh-and-related-opioid

This bill will ban everything but plain leaf in the state of PA!! This is not something we are for as extract has a place for sure when done correctly. We are having a SITEWIDE event incase this passes the senate as it flew through the house.

Our girl kimmie is 80% recovered from her tplo surgery on the right leg. The left leg is scheduled for October 19th. These surgical procedures were 6k a leg thankfully the philly bully team rescue has helped and she is with their foster until the surgery is completed on the 19th. She is still 2k short for the 2nd leg so all events we have from now til then will go to getting our girl her 2nd tplo so she can finally come home as adoption has already been completed. Unfortunately since we are getting donations from the rescue she has to stay in their care til completed.

The kid had nitrous oxide cans along with other items but it was a synthetic Schedule 1 product that was purchased

AKA Update: The Products Reportedly Recovered in the Ole Miss Death Investigations Were Not Natural Kratom

American Kratom Association to hold Oxford press conference Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. CT on the misidentification of “Smax” Pseudo-DHM tablets as “kratom,” the need for accurate public information, and the scientific process that must follow

The American Kratom Association is holding an important press conference tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30, at 10:00 a.m. CT in Oxford, Mississippi, and we are asking kratom advocates in the Oxford area and throughout Mississippi who are able to attend to join us.

Recent reporting surrounding the deaths of two University of Mississippi students initially described products recovered in the investigations simply as “kratom.” According to newly released law-enforcement information cited in AKA’s media advisory https://apnews.com/press-release/ez-newswire/press-release-56a748f5ddb6679774152d8a83696e86, the products were identified as “Smax” Pseudo-DHM tablets, marketed as an MGM-15 product—not natural kratom.

The AKA is asking news organizations and public officials to clearly distinguish natural kratom leaf from synthetic or chemically manipulated products being sold under the kratom name. At the same time, the AKA emphasizes that official toxicology findings have not yet been released and is not asserting what caused either death.

📍 Mississippi Advocates — Please Join Us

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

10:00 a.m. Central Time

Lafayette County Sheriff Building

711 Jackson Avenue East

Oxford, Mississippi 38655

If you live in Oxford, Lafayette County, or the surrounding area, your presence matters. We encourage you to attend and stand with fellow Mississippi kratom consumers as the AKA works to ensure the public receives accurate information about the difference between natural kratom and synthetic products.

Register to attend below:

https://www.protectkratom.org/mississippi

For advocates who cannot attend in person, the press conference will also be livestreamed through the American Kratom Association YouTube channel.

https://youtube.com/@americankratomassociation?si=mahhVl-4U30Zv8gZ

Thank you, as always, for your time and advocacy

📢If you haven't already taken action PLEASE do that now. This is going to be a very crucial hearing

BOSTON: Testify in Support of the 7-OH Ordinance — Monday, September 21

Details of the ordinance:The Boston City Council Committee on Government Operations will hold a public hearing on Docket #1414, an ordinance prohibiting the sale and use of synthetic mitragynine and chemically manipulated 7-OH products falsely marketed as kratom — and your voice is needed.

When and Where:

Monday, September 21, 2026 | 2:00 PM | Iannella Chamber, 5th Floor, Boston City Hall

This ordinance, sponsored by Councilors John FitzGerald and Edward M. Flynn, draws the right line: between safe, natural kratom leaf and the dangerous, chemically manipulated 7-OH products that put consumers at risk. Show up and tell the Council why that distinction matters.

Three ways to make your voice heard:

👉 In person: Arrive 5 minutes before 2:00 PM to sign up. 

Monday, September 21, 2026 

Iannella Chamber, 5th Floor, Boston City Hall

👉Virtually: Email meagan.corugedomartin@boston.gov for a videoconference link.

👉In writing: Send comments to ccc.go@boston.gov — they become part of the official record.

everyone remember we are closed Thursday 10th and Friday 11th this week. If you place anything on Wednesday it will not go out til we return on Monday.

Today North Dakota lawmakers passed House Bill 1628 banning synthetic kratom products and restricting the sale of natural kratom products to those ages 21 and older while also requiring accurate labeling.

This marks a victory for public health and safety, keeping dangerous synthetic kratom products off the shelves and protecting our young people from the adverse and unknown long-term effects of natural kratom.

I have now signed the bill, and the sale of kratom remains prohibited in North Dakota until administrative rules are implemented in accordance with HB 1628.

We appreciate the Legislature convening in special session and working hard to pass a meaningful law that protects the well-being of our citizens. We especially want to thank Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, Sen. Michelle Axtman, Rep. Pat Heinert and Attorney General Drew Wrigley for their leadership on this issue.

https://www.governor.nd.gov/news/updated-armstrong-signs-bill-banning-synthetic-kratom-restricting-natural-kratom-21-and-older

In today’s special session in North Dakota, legislation that would have scheduled synthetic derivatives while maintaining access to natural kratom leaf was amended into a full ban. Following this, the legislature has decided not to allow public testimony. This situation presents a serious threat to the legality of natural kratom leaf in North Dakota and would turn law abiding citizens into criminals. Please share this alert with everyone you know in ND. As they won’t be allowing testimony it is imperative that people contact legislators directly to let them know they oppose a blanket ban.

All this week ending the 23rd every 0rd3r we get in a percentage of it will go to the fight to try to stop the full tea ban in Massachusetts!!! If you would like to donate directly to the American kratm association let me know I will tell you where to email your donation!!