Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana
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Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026? SUMMARY: The proposed law would change the type and amount of marijuana that may legally be possessed in Massachusetts by repealing the laws that legalize, regulate, and tax the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana in Massachusetts. The proposed law would also permit persons 21 years of age and older to possess 1 ounce or less of marijuana including no more than 5 grams in the form of concentrate, and to gift or transfer to another person 21 years of age and older 1 ounce or less of marijuana including no more than 5 grams in the form of concentrate. The proposed law would also impose a civil penalty of $100 and forfeiture of the marijuana for the possession of marijuana between the weight of 1 and 2 ounces. For persons 21 years of age and younger, the proposed law would make the possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana a civil infraction subject to a $100 fine, forfeiture of the marijuana, completion of a drug awareness program and community service, and notification to their parents or legal guardian of the offense and penalties. The proposed law would allow currently licensed adult recreational marijuana businesses to apply on an expedited basis to become a licensed medical marijuana dispensary and to sell their remaining inventory of adult recreational marijuana to medical marijuana dispensaries. The proposed law would retain the Cannabis Control Commission but modify its authority so it would regulate only the medical marijuana market. The proposed law states that, if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect. The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2028.
A YES VOTE would prohibit the legalization, regulation, and taxation of the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana, and change the penalties for possession of marijuana.
A NO VOTE would make no change to the law relative to marijuana.
Not published by the state
By repealing the laws that legalize and tax the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana, the proposed law would reduce the amount that state and municipal governments receive from the taxation of those sales. In fiscal year 2025, taxation of the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana raised approximately $280 million in state revenue and $50 million in local revenue. The state budget, which is supported by tax revenue, funds local aid for schools and municipal budgets.
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PARENTS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS URGE YES ON QUESTION 8 • Question 8 would keep personal possession of marijuana legal, keep medical marijuana legal, and stop commercial marijuana stores • Since commercial legalization, marijuana is now the most common drug found in fatal car accidents in Massachusetts • 85% of marijuana users admit to driving after and over 50% drive within an hour or less • Business owners have increased costs from higher rates of workplace injuries, increased healthcare costs, and higher turnover • For every $1 gained in tax revenue, taxpayers spend $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization from societal expenses including increased healthcare, lost productivity, and crime (like DUI’s) • Modern concentrates and edibles have been linked to mental health conditions like psychosis, severe anxiety, and schizophrenia, particularly in young adults • As a result of commercial marijuana, ER visits in Massachusetts have drastically increased for teenagers with psychiatric conditions
Dr. Jeffrey Morgan, MD (Ret.) Retired Oncologist and Physician and Retired Instructor of Medicine Coalition For a Healthy Massachusetts 138 Conant Street Beverly, MA 01915 www.HealthierMA.com
VOTE NO ON QUESTION 8 Question 8 would create serious public health and safety problems by repealing the rules and regulations that currently control the production and sale of marijuana in Massachusetts. For ten years, Massachusetts has regulated marijuana, ensuring that products are tested for safety, packaged and labelled properly, and sold in licensed businesses to adults 21 and over. Question 8 would undo that progress, returning marijuana to the illicit market where there are no safeguards in place. Law enforcement would be forced to waste time and resources on marijuana arrests instead of fighting serious crime. Historically, marijuana arrests have disproportionately impacted communities of color. Recriminalizing marijuana would make Massachusetts less safe. Question 8 would shut down hundreds of small businesses, kill thousands of jobs, and eliminate billions of dollars in state tax revenue. We must not go backwards on public health and safety. Vote NO on Question 8.
Ryan Dominguez Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition 6 Liberty Square PMB 421 Boston, MA 02109 617-286-6173 www.stoptherepealma.com
Both columns use the same layout. Text is quoted from the official state guide. Views expressed belong to the argument authors.