June 25, 2026 |Elections, Health & Wellness, News, Politics, State of MA

Stop the Repeal Launches Campaign Against Marijuana Repeal Ballot Question

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From Melwood Global: Today, dispensary owners, health care professionals, law enforcement and supporters joined to announce the launch of efforts to protect the highly-regulated, voter-approved recreational cannabis industry in Massachusetts and defeat efforts to repeal legalization.

Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved legal adult-use cannabis in 2016, creating a regulated marketplace that has generated nearly $2 billion in state and local revenue, supported thousands of jobs, and established strong consumer protections, including product testing, age verification, and labeling requirements. The Stop the Repeal Campaign aims to educate voters about the ballot question that would repeal legalization in the Commonwealth. 

“Repealing recreational cannabis laws in Massachusetts will not only take us backwards – it will negatively impact our communities that are already struggling with budget shortfalls and locally owned small businesses that have invested their life savings into building their legal businesses that create jobs and support local economies,” said Campaign Chair Ryan Dominguez. “Since legalization, the cannabis industry has brought in close to $2 billion in state and local revenue, generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually in support of public health, public safety, and many other wide-reaching community investments. We look forward to standing alongside our allies as we educate voters on what this ballot initiative actually does and fight back against out-of-state special interest groups pushing this regressive policy.”

Supporters of the campaign say repealing legalization would reverse a decade of progress, undermine public health and safety, and deprive communities of critical revenue used to support schools, housing, transportation, health care, and other essential services.

“At a time when state and local governments are already facing significant budget pressures, repealing recreational cannabis laws would be a costly mistake,” said Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia. “Legal cannabis generates critical revenue that communities like Fitchburg rely on to fund our schools, improve transportation, and support essential services. Recriminalizing adult-use cannabis would not only turn back the clock on sensible policy, it would blow a hole in state and municipal budgets at a moment when we simply cannot afford it. Our residents deserve investments in our communities, not cuts to the programs they depend on every day.”

Since the voter-approved ballot initiative passed in 2016, adult-use recreational marijuana has been legal statewide, with the first retail locations opening in November 2018. Since then, over 400 adult-use marijuana retail locations have opened and, as of August 2025, total adult-use retail sales of cannabis reached over $8 billion. During that same period, the state collected $1.58 billion ($1.72 billion adjusted for inflation) and local governments collected $300 million ($333 million adjusted for inflation) in revenue.

Revenue from the Marijuana Regulation Fund (MRF), the main fund that receives cannabis revenue, supports various programs across public health, community investment, law and public safety, and regulatory oversight, with public health receiving the largest percentage.

“As a board-certified family physician, I know that regulation is a critical public health tool,” said CED Clinic Physician Dr. Benjamin Caplan. “Health policy has to begin with reality. Cannabis has risks and that is exactly why repeal is the wrong answer. It will not make cannabis disappear. It will make it less regulated, less visible, and less accountable. Legal cannabis in Massachusetts is subject to rigorous testing, labeling, and age-verification requirements that help keep consumers safe. They are tracked from seed to sale. Instead of removing safeguards, we need to strengthen them. Repealing recreational cannabis creates unnecessary risks for patients and families. Protecting health and safety means strengthening prevention and enforcement and managing the risks that come with cannabis with rules, science and accountability, not going back to regressive policies.”

Since legalization, Massachusetts has implemented one of the nation’s most robust regulatory systems for cannabis sales, ensuring products are tested for safety, sold only to adults over the age of 21, and subject to strict oversight.

“Public health is best served when cannabis is regulated, tested, and sold in a legal market with strong consumer protections. Massachusetts has made significant progress since legalization, including implementing rigorous safety standards and has seen a dramatic decrease in cannabis use among our youth. Recriminalizing recreational cannabis would reverse that progress and weaken the public health safeguards that make our communities safer.”

Public health expert Alan Balsam

“Massachusetts businesses played by the rules, made investments, hired workers, and built a thriving regulated cannabis industry after voters chose legalization,” said The Heritage Club Founder Nike John. “Since 2016, when voters approved legalization, cannabis sales have generated nearly $2 billion in state and local revenue while supporting thousands of workers and small businesses across the Commonwealth. Repealing recreational cannabis laws would be a major setback for local businesses, sending the wrong message to entrepreneurs who have invested their time, resources, and livelihoods in a legal, regulated industry. We should be supporting small businesses and economic growth, not undermining them.”

The Stop the Repeal Campaign will engage voters across the Commonwealth through grassroots organizing, public education, and coalition-building efforts to ensure Massachusetts continues to move forward rather than returning to failed policies of the past.