Plymouth Board of Health Eyes Kratom Rules, Finds Synthetic Nicotine Regulation Gap

PLYMOUTH — November 10, 2025 — Plymouth's Board of Health heard a detailed presentation distinguishing natural kratom leaf from concentrated synthetic 7-hydroxy­mitragynine and identified a gap in local tobacco rules ahead of a November 19 public forum. Allison Smith, Director of Government Affairs for the Global Kratom Coalition, and Executive Director Matt Lowe told the four-member panel that synthetic 7-OH is 13 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than natural kratom leaf, and urged the board to regulate — not ban — natural products while prohibiting the synthetic form. Public Health Director Karen Keane confirmed that Plymouth's tobacco regulations contain no reference to synthetic nicotine, leaving oral nicotine pouches and similar products without explicit age-restriction coverage under local rules; member Barry Potvin said he would draft corrective language. Potvin also reported that the state Department of Environmental Protection denied Holtec International's appeal to discharge roughly 800,000 gallons of tritium-contaminated wastewater into Cape Cod Bay, with Holtec signaling it will pursue the matter in court while continuing to evaporate the stored water using submersible heaters.