Mass. working group weighs oversight of xylazine; DPH warns against straight scheduling

BOSTON — Members of a Massachusetts legislative working group met to discuss oversight, regulation and the possible scheduling of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer increasingly detected in the illicit drug supply.

Jess Bressler, commission staff and legal counsel to the House chair of the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery, opened the session and outlined the group's charge: investigate best practices to regulate production and distribution of xylazine, whether it should be classified as a controlled substance, and what penalties — if any — would be appropriate. "This working group is charged with investigating and producing findings and recommendations, firstly, on best practices to regulate and oversee the production and distribution of xylazine," Bressler said.

Sarah Ruiz, deputy director of the Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, told the group the department is cautious about imposing a state-level scheduling approach. "The ironclad law of prohibition means you prohibit 1 thing and it results in the creation of something else," Ruiz said, arguing that straightforward scheduling could push suppliers toward other, potentially more harmful substitutes. Ruiz recommended focusing on education, support and data rather than immediate criminalization.

Several members, including veterinarians and pharmacists, emphasized the difference between pharmaceutical-grade xylazine obtained from licensed distributors and non-pharmaceutical-grade product found in bulk and powder forms. Dr. Matt Hogan, attending veterinarian and senior director of the Center for Comparative Medicine at McLean Hospital, described why the drug is clinically useful in large-animal and research settings and noted practical challenges of tight tracking in veterinary practice: "If it was controlled at the federal level, you'd have to then know exactly how much you pulled out, write it in a book in your truck," Hogan said, warning such rules could create burdens in field veterinary care.

The group discussed evidence from drug-checking projects. Bressler said testing streams have shown a concerning rise in xylazine in recent years: "My recollection is that, at one point, about 40% of samples that were tested contained or were contaminated with xylazine," he said, noting he would verify the figure against the Massachusetts drug supply data stream (MADS) and other testing sources. Deputy Director Ruiz and other members pointed to MADS and work by researchers including Dr. Tracy Green as key data sources, and described public dashboards and apps that publish testing results.

Speakers also focused on sourcing. Several participants said available evidence points to international online vendors and adulteration later in the supply chain, rather than diversion from veterinary clinics. That raised questions about the practical reach of state-level scheduling and whether federal enforcement or interstate cooperation would be required to disrupt international supply chains.

The working group agreed to divide labor: one subgroup will examine oversight, production and distribution best practices (suggested leads: Winnie Gates and Dr. Hogan); a second subgroup will investigate classification and legislative options, including what other states have done (suggested leads: Representative Exaros and Deputy Director Ruiz). Staff said they would prepare a PowerPoint template and asked members to contribute materials to a shared drive ahead of a Dec. 11 public meeting.

The meeting closed with a motion to adjourn that was seconded by Dr. Matt Hogan. Commission staff will follow up with notes, data requests and a draft presentation for the wider commission to review.