Petitioners for Massachusetts Campaign to Repeal Adult-Use Cannabis Law Accused of Fraud

The paid signature gatherers working on behalf of the Massachusetts campaign seeking to repeal the commonwealth’s adult-use cannabis law are being accused of fraud, including using bait-and-switch tactics and tricking people into signing the petition by using fake cover sheets. 

The allegations are being circulated online, including a post on Reddit that claims a signature gatherer was asking people to “sign a petition to make sure kids didn’t go to jail for minor marijuana offenses.” Another post on Facebook suggests individuals associated with the campaign are telling people that the proposal will “stop throwing kids in jail for weed.” 

Another post on Reddit includes a photo of two men sitting at a table with a sign reading “Massachusetts Petitions” for affordable housing and same-day voter registration, but the petitions being circulated at the table are for the campaign to repeal adult-use cannabis reforms.  

In a statement, David O’Brien, president and CEO of Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association, urged citizens to report such tactics – which could be considered voter fraud under Massachusetts law – to their local town hall.   

“These out of state crews go from state to state collecting signatures and clearly they’re having trouble here in Massachusetts finding people who want to repeal our highly effective cannabis laws and kill our successful cannabis industry.” — O’Brien in a press release 

The proposal to roll back the adult-use program is led by Caroline Cunningham and comes in the form of two proposed laws, which are both titled “An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy,” and would end retail cannabis sales and adults’ right to cultivate cannabis at home.  

As a proposed law, rather than a constitutional amendment, the campaign must now gather and file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth the signatures of 74,574 registered voters by December 3, 2025. Once the signatures are verified, the proposal will be sent to the lawmakers in January 2026 for consideration on or before the first Wednesday of May 2026. If the Legislature does not enact a proposal, proponents must gather 12,429 additional signatures from registered voters by July 1, 2026, to place the proposed law on the November 2026 ballot. 

The proposals include provisions to decriminalize possession of more than one ounce but less than two ounces, and violating the law would be a civil offense with a $100 fine. Adults would still be able to gift cannabis to each other.  

Medical cannabis would also remain legal under the proposals, but “version A” would outlaw flower with THC concentration higher than 30%, concentrates with potency greater than 60%, and edibles with more than 5 milligrams of THC per serving. “Version B” would task the Cannabis Control Commission and the state health department with ensuring “that the production and distribution of medical use marijuana is effectively regulated,” but does not outline product potency limits.