Massachusetts Ballot Initiative Seeks to Repeal Adult-Use Cannabis Law

A new ballot initiative filed in Massachusetts seeks to repeal the state’s adult-use cannabis law, which voters approved in 2016. The proposal, led by Caroline Cunningham and backed by 14 other voters, would end retail cannabis sales and prohibit adults from cultivating cannabis at home.

The measure comes in two versions, both titled “An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy.” While both would eliminate recreational sales, they would continue to allow adults to gift cannabis and would decriminalize possession of between one and two ounces, punishable by a $100 civil fine.

Medical cannabis would remain legal under both proposals, though the two versions differ in how the program would be regulated.

Under Massachusetts law, the Attorney General’s office must first review the petitions for constitutional compliance before they are filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which is expected to announce certification decisions on September 3, 2025.

If certified, supporters would need to collect 75,574 valid voter signatures by December 3 to advance the measure to the state Legislature in January 2026. If lawmakers reject the proposal, backers would then have until July 1, 2026, to collect an additional 12,429 signatures to place the initiative on the November 2026 ballot.

If successful, the measure would represent the first effort to roll back adult-use legalization in Massachusetts since voters approved it nearly a decade ago.

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