The battle within the cannabis space is, but is not limited to: a fight against the aftermath of the War on Drugs, freedom for consumers to access safe and regulated products, and a re-writing of the narratives associated with marijuana and its use. However, since it became legal in the state of Massachusetts in 2016, there has been continuous pushback. Crazy to think that a $1.6 billion industry that brings such exorbitant tax revenue to that state, jobs to the community, and equity to business operators and entrepreneurs, could be targeted for decline. Unfortunately, that’s where “An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy” comes into play.
This petition, certified October 2025 by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, is an attempt at getting an initiative on the November 2026 ballot. The initiative looks to repeal recreational sales across the state, as well as potentially (according to “Version A” of the petition) place potency and allotment limitations on continued medical sales. The light in the dark? Although recreational sale would be criminalized, the bill would leave the possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis or 5 grams of concentrate decriminalized and the state’s medical program would still exist.
Organizers must obtain 74,574 signatures, equal to 3% of the total votes cast for Governor (excluding blanks) at the preceding gubernatorial election. Further, no more than 25% of the total required number may come from any one county, which totals at 18,643 signatures per. The group pushing for this initiative includes Middlesex and Worcester Republican Committeewoman Caroline Cunningham who spearheaded the petition, as well as Committeeman David Lunger, local entrepreneurs, CEOs, psychiatrists, and more. This group of individuals has until December 3, 2025, to submit their signatures to the Secretary of the Commonwealth in order to work toward qualifying for the ballot.
As of November 13th, they claim to be on track to hitting their target, with hopes of retrieving over 100,000 signatures in the case of any discrepancies, once the Secretary tallies and confirms them. They will then be passed on to Secretary of State William Galvin’s office two weeks later who will perform the final count and can toss any incomplete or mutilated petition sheets. Lawmakers will then have until May 6, 2026 to act on the initiative or else the petitioners will need to gather another 12,429 signatures by July 1, 2026, to qualify the proposed law for the November 2026 election.
Now, let’s zoom out a bit. When marijuana legalization was voted upon in 2016, it passed with a 54% majority. Since then, the industry has produced more than $8.3 billion in retail revenue, $900 million in excise tax revenue, and roughly $540 million in sales tax revenue since 2018, according to the Cannabis Control Commission of Massachusetts. Not only is the cannabis industry raking in all kinds of dough for the state government, but it also supports over 27,000 working class individuals who make their living in the space, those who contribute to construction or maintenance of the physical structures, and the consumers who now have access to a regulated seed-to-sale system which places the plant safely in the hands of the community.
The scariest part? Initiatives are not only being proposed here in Massachusetts, but also in Maine, Nebraska, and Ohio. Recognizing both Mass and Maine’s participation at the forefront of legalization goes to show the strategic nature of these prohibitionists. Attack the spaces where it all began to inhibit the forwarding of important research as well as rescheduling on the federal level. Within only eight years, not nearly enough to showcase any long-term negative or positive impacts as such a burgeoning industry maneuvers getting off of the ground, folks are looking to lead us into a state of regression.
Talk to your family, your friends, your neighbors; we have each other to spread the word and educate on the impacts that a reversal on adult-use legalization could mean. Community, what the cannabis plant is built upon, is everpresent and powerful in the midst of these actions. We want to continuously spread a message of kindness, humility, and an acknowledgement of our history and how we can build anew. While there is still a way to go in the policy advancement and ballot initiative process, we must start educating ourselves and those around us now if we are to fight back against the unethical prohibition of our favorite plant.
By Rachel Smith
References:
https://blog.mpp.org/blog/cannabis-reform-progress-is-under-attack-in-multiple-states/