Abington Board of Health Defers Vote on Kratom Ban After Packed Public Hearing

ABINGTON — May 13, 2026 — Abington Board of Health defers kratom ban vote after its largest-ever public hearing. The board conducted a formal public hearing Wednesday on a proposed regulation that would ban the sale of kratom, synthetic cannabinoids, and other novel intoxicants in town, drawing what Chair Van Ness called the most packed audience the board had ever seen. Three local business owners, including Smith Patel of Route 18 Superstore and a representative of the Abington Vape and Smoke Shop, opposed the ban and submitted a combined petition of nearly 300 customer signatures, arguing prohibition would push buyers toward online or black-market sellers. Supporters included parents of young men who died from mitragynine toxicity, addiction-treatment professionals, and people in recovery who described kratom withdrawal as mimicking opioid withdrawal. Van Ness said after closing the hearing that "we have no health agent to implement any kind of regulation," a staffing gap she called problematic, and the board agreed to carry the item to its next meeting with written public comment accepted through May 20. The board separately voted unanimously to adopt a voluntary livestock registration regulation intended to help the town reach animal owners in emergencies.