Petition to Repeal Massachusetts Cannabis Market Advances Despite Claims of Misled Voters

The campaign to repeal the Massachusetts adult-use cannabis market is proceeding to the House of Representatives for consideration despite reports that the campaign’s signature gatherers misled voters into signing the petition, The Boston Globe reports.

The State Ballot Law Commission on Thursday struck down a legal challenge to the petition that referenced multiple allegations of signature gatherers for the anti-cannabis campaign lying to signatories about the petition, among other fraudulent strategies.

The repeal campaign received over $1.5 million in donations from the cannabis prohibition group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

With the challenge dismissed, the petition will move forward in the ballot approval process. Under state law, however, lawmakers can choose to adopt initiatives submitted by the public before they reach the ballot.

“With this decision, the certification of this round of petitions has now formally ended… If the Legislature chooses not to pass any of the initiatives, the petitioners will have the opportunity to begin the final round of signature gathering in May.” — Secretary of State William Galvin, in a press release

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts cannabis market has continued to grow since its 2018 launch — dispensaries set a new annual sales record last year at more than $1.65 billion, and the commonwealth is approaching $9 billion in total sales.