PSA on GBH Boston: Is Massachusetts going too far with its new kratom crackdown? 🎙️🌿

Is Massachusetts going too far with its new kratom crackdown? 🎙️🌿

From GBH Boston’s Morning Edition

Featuring PSA Founder Jack Gorsline

Friday August 28, 2026

This morning, PSA founder Jack Gorsline joined ‪Tori Bedford of GBH Boston’s Morning Edition to unpack the state's controversial move to classify kratom as a Schedule I drug — putting the natural leaf in the exact same legal category as heroin.

During the interview, Gorsline highlighted the growing friction between sweeping state criminalization and public health evidence: "Advocates aren’t necessarily asking for a free-for-all. They’re arguing that the state is using a sledgehammer here where a scalpel was needed —criminalizing the natural leaf rather than regulating these potent synthetics and other products."

While the state pushes ahead with prohibition, Gorsline points out that a Schedule I designation ignores kratom's active use by many for treating severe anxiety and substance use disorder. It also directly contradicts guidance from major health organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA), World Health Organization (WHO), and The United Nations, which all advocate for the decriminalization and regulation of drugs for personal possession.

Click here to listen to the full interview!