Overview
- Industry organizers held a State House rally and launched the Stop the Repeal campaign on Thursday, June 25 as they prepare to fight a ballot question that is expected to be certified in July.
- The ballot question would ask voters to repeal the 2016 law that legalized, regulated, and taxed recreational cannabis sales and, if approved, would not take effect until 2028 and would leave medical marijuana untouched.
- Regulators and business leaders warn repeal would wipe out an estimated $1.65 billion local market, endanger more than 20,000 jobs, and remove roughly $289 million in state tax revenue and $50 million in municipal revenue last year.
- The campaign is becoming a money fight: Smart Approaches to Marijuana has disclosed about $1.5 million in funding for repeal and critics say outside donations may overwhelm industry opposition that faces fundraising challenges because of low prices and market oversupply.
- Signature‑gathering and legal challenges have been reviewed and fraud claims were dismissed by the State Ballot Law Commission, polls are mixed with one showing strong opposition to repeal and another showing a tighter race, and the fall campaign will determine whether Massachusetts becomes the first state to roll back legalization.