Question 8: Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana

Massachusetts · Law Proposed by Initiative Petition · on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The ballot wording and the arguments for and against from the state’s official voter guide, in the state’s own words, each read the same way for rhetorical techniques. We don’t recommend a vote.

On the ballot

no rhetorical technique found

Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026?

The proposed law would change the type and amount of marijuana that may legally be possessed in Massachusetts by repealing the laws that legalize, regulate, and tax the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana in Massachusetts. The proposed law would also permit persons 21 years of age and older to possess 1 ounce or less of marijuana including no more than 5 grams in the form of concentrate, and to gift or transfer to another person 21 years of age and older 1 ounce or less of marijuana including no more than 5 grams in the form of concentrate. The proposed law would also impose a civil penalty of $100 and forfeiture of the marijuana for the possession of marijuana between the weight of 1 and 2 ounces.

For persons 21 years of age and younger, the proposed law would make the possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana a civil infraction subject to a $100 fine, forfeiture of the marijuana, completion of a drug awareness program and community service, and notification to their parents or legal guardian of the offense and penalties.

The proposed law would allow currently licensed adult recreational marijuana businesses to apply on an expedited basis to become a licensed medical marijuana dispensary and to sell their remaining inventory of adult recreational marijuana to medical marijuana dispensaries. The proposed law would retain the Cannabis Control Commission but modify its authority so it would regulate only the medical marijuana market.

The proposed law states that, if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect.

The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2028.

A YES VOTE would prohibit the legalization, regulation, and taxation of the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana, and change the penalties for possession of marijuana.

A NO VOTE would make no change to the law relative to marijuana.

From sec.state.ma.us. Checked 2026-10-20. Confirm with your official ballot (sample-ballot lookup).

Argument for

By Dr. Jeffrey Morgan, MD (Ret.), Retired Oncologist and Physician and Retired Instructor of Medicine, Coalition For a Healthy Massachusetts

no rhetorical technique found

MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PARENTS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS URGE YES ON QUESTION 8

Question 8 would keep personal possession of marijuana legal, keep medical marijuana legal, and stop commercial marijuana stores

Since commercial legalization, marijuana is now the most common drug found in fatal car accidents in Massachusetts

85% of marijuana users admit to driving after and over 50% drive within an hour or less

Business owners have increased costs from higher rates of workplace injuries, increased healthcare costs, and higher turnover

For every $1 gained in tax revenue, taxpayers spend $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization from societal expenses including increased healthcare, lost productivity, and crime (like DUI's)

Modern concentrates and edibles have been linked to mental health conditions like psychosis, severe anxiety, and schizophrenia, particularly in young adults

As a result of commercial marijuana, ER visits in Massachusetts have drastically increased for teenagers with psychiatric conditions

From sec.state.ma.us, the official voter guide.

Argument against

By Ryan Dominguez, Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition

Appeal to FearLoaded Language

VOTE NO ON QUESTION 8

Question 8 would create serious public health and safety problems by repealing the rules and regulations that currently control the production and sale of marijuana in Massachusetts.

For ten years, Massachusetts has regulated marijuana, ensuring that products are tested for safety, packaged and labelled properly, and sold in licensed businesses to adults 21 and over.

Question 8 would undo that progress, returning marijuana to the illicit market where there are no safeguards in place. Law enforcement would be forced to waste time and resources on marijuana arrests instead of fighting serious crime. Historically, marijuana arrests have disproportionately impacted communities of color. Recriminalizing marijuana would make Massachusetts less safe.

Appeal to Fear · “returning marijuana to the illicit market where there are no safeguards in place”, “would make Massachusetts less safe” — Warns of a return to an unsafeguarded illicit market to create anxiety about the ballot measure.

Loaded Language · “forced to waste time and resources” — Uses charged framing like 'forced to waste' to portray enforcement as pointless.

Question 8 would shut down hundreds of small businesses, kill thousands of jobs, and eliminate billions of dollars in state tax revenue.

We must not go backwards on public health and safety.

Vote NO on Question 8.

From sec.state.ma.us, the official voter guide.

Who’s behind it

Party positions: Massachusetts Democratic Party: No position published · Massachusetts Republican Party: No stance

Committees registered to support or oppose Question 8, and what they reported to Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) - ocpf.us / api.ocpf.us. Checked 2026-10-21.

Before comparing the sides: each committee’s figures come from its own latest report, so they can cover different dates. Some committees work on more than one measure or other campaigns, and their totals include all of it. A side with no registered committee can still have supporters. How much a side raised says nothing about whether the measure is a good idea.