Massachusetts voters reject repeal of adult-use cannabis legalization

Massachusetts voters have overwhelmingly rejected Question 8, a ballot initiative that sought to repeal core elements of the state's adult-use marijuana legalization laws. The measure would have eliminated the legal recreational market and prohibited consumers from growing cannabis at home.

With 48 percent of ballots counted, approximately 76 percent of voters opposed the repeal. This result aligns with previous polling, including a Boston Globe survey where 71 percent of respondents planned to vote against the measure. The initiative faced opposition from various state and federal officials, including Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, as well as law enforcement groups who argued that legalization allows resources to be focused on violent crime rather than low-level offenses.

The campaign to repeal the laws was primarily funded by Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a Virginia-based special interest group. Advocates for legalization, such as Paul Armentano of NORML, stated that the defeat demonstrates durable public support for regulated cannabis markets over prohibition.