Massachusetts Attorney General Certifies Ballot Measures To Recriminalize Recreational Cannabis Sales

Attorney General Approves Dozens of 2026 Ballot Initiatives

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has certified 44 out of 47 proposed 2026 ballot initiatives, including two measures that could fundamentally alter the state’s cannabis landscape. The approved proposals have cleared the first procedural hurdle, meaning they can now advance toward possible placement on the November 2026 ballot.

Among the certified initiatives are two controversial measures designed to roll back adult-use marijuana legalization, effectively dismantling the commercial cannabis market while maintaining limited personal possession rights and preserving the state’s medical program.

Proposals Aim to Eliminate Commercial Cannabis Sales

The pair of marijuana-related initiatives are titled An Act to Restore A Sensible Marijuana Policy. If either measure ultimately succeeds at the ballot box, Massachusetts would see the closure of recreational dispensaries and the end of adult-use retail sales.

Under the proposals, adults 21 and older could still possess up to one ounce of cannabis, with a cap of five grams on concentrates. Possession between one and two ounces would remain decriminalized, punishable only by a $100 fine. Adults would still be permitted to gift cannabis to one another without compensation.

Notably, home cultivation rights—one of the hallmarks of the original legalization measure—would be repealed. This would leave the medical cannabis program as the sole legal pathway for commercial cannabis access, with recreational sales eliminated.

Diverging Versions of the Initiative and THC Potency Limits

While both measures share the same overall framework, one version adds restrictions on potency in the medical cannabis program. If enacted, it would cap flower at 30 percent THC and concentrates at 60 percent THC, while limiting individual servings of concentrates to five milligrams.

Additionally, products failing to provide clearly measured servings would be banned, as would packages containing more than 20 servings of concentrates. These restrictions are aimed at reducing perceived risks of high-potency products but could dramatically alter product availability for medical patients.

The alternate version excludes potency caps, allowing medical cannabis products to continue under existing state rules.

A Long-Term Timeline for Implementation

The certified ballot summaries make clear that the proposals would not take immediate effect. Instead, the repeal of adult-use legalization would be scheduled for January 1, 2028.

To ease the transition, existing recreational cannabis businesses would be allowed to apply for expedited conversion into medical marijuana dispensaries. They would also be able to sell off remaining inventory by transferring products into the medical market.

The state Cannabis Control Commission would retain its regulatory role but be limited to overseeing medical cannabis only.

Certification Process and Voter Engagement

In her announcement, Attorney General Campbell emphasized that her office is bound by constitutional criteria, not personal policy preferences, in determining which initiatives qualify. She framed the record-breaking 47 filings this year as a sign of robust civic participation.

Certification is only the beginning of a lengthy process. Proponents of the cannabis rollback initiatives must gather at least 74,574 valid voter signatures by December 3, 2025, to move forward. If successful, the measures will be presented to the legislature, which can enact them, propose alternatives, or take no action. Should lawmakers decline to adopt them, organizers would need to collect an additional 12,429 signatures to secure a place on the 2026 ballot.

Potential Impact on Massachusetts’s Cannabis Industry

If passed, the initiatives would mark a dramatic reversal of policy for Massachusetts, which legalized recreational cannabis at the ballot box in 2016 and launched sales in 2018. The industry has since grown rapidly, generating more than $8 billion in sales to date.

Repealing the commercial market could disrupt thousands of jobs, reduce tax revenue streams, and dismantle business infrastructure that has developed over nearly a decade. Supporters of legalization argue that rolling back adult-use sales would also risk reviving the illicit market that legalization was designed to replace.

Broader Cannabis Policy Developments in the State

The certification comes at a time of significant activity in Massachusetts cannabis policy. Regulators are working to finalize rules for a new cannabis consumption lounge license type, expected by October. In May, the Cannabis Control Commission also launched a platform to connect job seekers with employment and training opportunities in the legal cannabis industry.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are advancing bills to expand the medical cannabis program by adding conditions such as PTSD and opioid use disorder to the list of qualifying illnesses. The legislature is also considering employment protections for cannabis consumers, restrictions on hemp-derived intoxicating products, and changes to ownership caps on cannabis establishments.

Tensions remain between regulators and lawmakers, particularly around funding for technology upgrades at the Cannabis Control Commission. The CCC has warned that without additional resources, it cannot carry out critical infrastructure improvements.

A Potential Ballot Battle in 2026

The path forward for the proposed rollback of recreational cannabis is uncertain. Signature collection and voter mobilization will determine whether the measures advance, while the legislature’s response could also influence their fate.

For now, the certification ensures that the debate over cannabis legalization will remain a central issue in Massachusetts politics. With the possibility of undoing nearly a decade of legal cannabis sales, the stage is set for a high-profile battle over the future of marijuana policy in the Commonwealth.

Massachusetts may soon face a major cannabis policy reversal. Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has certified two ballot initiatives for the 2026 election that would roll back adult-use marijuana legalization.

The measures titled An Act to Restore A Sensible Marijuana Policy would eliminate recreational cannabis sales while keeping medical access intact. Adults could still legally possess up to an ounce, with limited gifting allowed, but home cultivation and commercial retail sales would end.

One version of the proposal also introduces potency caps on medical cannabis, restricting flower to 30 percent THC and concentrates to 60 percent. If approved by voters, the repeal would take effect in 2028, allowing time for recreational businesses to convert into medical dispensaries.

Proponents must now gather more than 74,000 valid signatures to advance the measures. With Massachusetts’s cannabis industry having generated over $8 billion in sales since 2018, the proposals set up a contentious debate about the future of legalization in the state.