Massachusetts: Legislation Doubling Marijuana Possession Limits Sent to Governor
- House and Senate lawmakers have advanced legislation (HB 5350) to raise marijuana possession limits for adults to two ounces and make other changes to the state's cannabis laws, now awaiting Governor Maura Healey's action.
- The bill increases the legal purchase limit from one ounce to two ounces, modifies advertising and production restrictions for licensed cannabis businesses, and reduces the number of members on the state cannabis commission.
- Massachusetts voters approved adult-use marijuana legalization in 2016, but prohibitionist groups are seeking to overturn much of the law with a 2026 initiative that is currently facing legal challenges and lacks broad public support.
- NORML supports the legislation and opposes the repeal initiative, citing public and lawmaker preference for legalization and regulation over prohibition, as reflected in recent polling showing majority opposition to the repeal effort.
House and Senate lawmakers have advanced legislation (HB 5350) raising marijuana possession limits for adults and making several other changes to the state’s cannabis legalization law. The measure now awaits action from Democratic Gov. Maura Healey.
Specifically, the bill allows adults to purchase and possess up to two ounces of cannabis in public. (Current law caps purchase limits at one ounce.) Other provisions in the proposal amend certain advertising and production restrictions for state-licensed businesses, and reduce the total number of members on the state’s cannabis commission, among other changes.
Massachusetts voters in 2016 approved a statewide ballot initiative regulating the adult-use marijuana market. Prohibitionist groups are seeking to overturn much of the law with a proposed 2026 initiative, ‘An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy.’ That measure is now being legally challenged. Recent statewide polling finds that 63 percent of Massachusetts’ voters, including strong majorities of Democrats (74 percent) and Independents (69 percent), oppose the repeal question.
“There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among the public when it comes to legalizing cannabis,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Nor is there support among lawmakers to reverse course on legalization. That’s because these policies are largely working as intended and because Massachusetts voters and politicians prefer legalization and regulation over a return to the failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”
NORML’s legislative alert supporting the bill is available in the Take Action Center. NORML also has several resources and fact sheets opposing the Massachusetts repeal initiative campaign available in Election Central.