Massachusetts Cannabis Legalization Repeal Effort Qualifies for November Ballot

Massachusetts officials have certified that a ballot initiative seeking to roll back the state’s adult-use cannabis legalization law will appear before voters in November, Marijuana Moment reports.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office informed organizers last week that they had submitted 12,551 certified signatures during the second round of petitioning, narrowly clearing the 12,429-signature requirement for the November 3, 2026 state election ballot. Under Massachusetts law, ballot campaigns must submit signatures in two rounds, with the Legislature given an opportunity to enact proposed measures after the first submission. Lawmakers declined to act on the cannabis proposal in May.

If approved by voters, the measure would repeal laws allowing regulated adult-use cannabis sales and home cultivation while leaving legal possession and the state’s medical cannabis program intact. A coalition of cannabis business leaders, healthcare professionals, and advocates has launched a campaign opposing the proposal.

The campaign behind the repeal measure, Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, previously fired a signature gatherer after video surfaced appearing to show the person using misleading arguments while collecting signatures for the Massachusetts initiative and a similar proposal in Maine. The campaign said it has “zero tolerance” for misleading circulation tactics.

Cannabis supporters had challenged the Massachusetts proposal on grounds including alleged misleading signature-gathering tactics, unrelated subjects, and an allegedly deficient official summary, but their attempt was rejected by the State Ballot Law Commission and state Supreme Judicial Court. After last week’s decision, cannabis businesses in Massachusetts filed another challenge to the repeal.