Massachusetts · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure
Question 8: what your vote means
Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana. On every Massachusetts ballot. Official sources checked October 21, 2026.
Question 8 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana
Heads up: voting YES on this measure repeals existing laws, the laws that legalize, regulate, and tax retail sales of adult recreational marijuana.
Question 8: Law proposed by initiative petition — Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana. 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?
Ballot question as printed in the 2026 Information for Voters, Secretary of the Commonwealth. On the ballot, the Attorney General’s summary (linked below) appears beneath the question.
A YES vote means:
The laws that legalize, regulate, and tax retail sales of adult recreational marijuana would be repealed starting January 1, 2028. Adults 21 and older could still possess and give away up to 1 ounce, and medical marijuana would remain legal.
A NO vote means:
Massachusetts marijuana law would not change.
What it would change
- Who is affected: adult recreational marijuana customers and licensed businesses, which could apply on an expedited basis to become medical dispensaries.
- Penalties: a $100 civil fine for possessing 1 to 2 ounces; for people 21 and younger, possession of 2 ounces or less becomes a civil infraction with a $100 fine, a drug awareness program, and community service.
- Taxes: ends the taxes on retail recreational sales.
- Fiscal impact (Executive Office of Administration and Finance): those taxes raised about $280 million in state revenue and $50 million in local revenue in fiscal year 2025.
Official arguments, summarized
Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.
Argument for
Supporters say commercial marijuana sales have increased impaired driving, health costs, and mental health problems, while personal possession and medical marijuana would stay legal.
Written by: Dr. Jeffrey Morgan, Coalition For a Healthy Massachusetts · healthierma.com
Argument against
Opponents say repeal would end product testing and licensing, return sales to the illicit market, close businesses, and eliminate tax revenue.
Written by: Ryan Dominguez, Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition · stoptherepealma.com
Arguments for and against Question 8, 2026 Information for Voters
Who supports it and who opposes it
These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.
Who supports it
- Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, Inc. Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95533, organized to support Question 8
Who opposes it
- Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Policy Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95559, organized to oppose Question 8
- Committee for Keep Cannabis Legal, Vote No on 8 Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95554, organized to oppose Question 8
- Committee to Protect Cannabis Regulation Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95539, organized to oppose Question 8
- Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks Massachusetts OCPF: ballot question committee 95549, organized to oppose Question 8
Official sources
- 2026 Information for Voters: Question 8 (summary, what your vote will do, fiscal consequences, arguments)
- 2026 Information for Voters (PDF), Question 8, p. 20, including the statement of fiscal consequences by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance
- Full text of the proposed law (PDF, p. 42)
SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.