VOTE NO ON 8
Massachusetts voters will decide Question 8, a ballot measure that would repeal the laws allowing, regulating, and taxing the retail sale of adult-use cannabis in Massachusetts.
For nearly a decade, Massachusetts has operated a legal, regulated adult-use cannabis market. Question 8 asks voters whether that system should continue.
A YES VOTE:
Prohibits the legal, regulated and taxed retail sale of adult-use cannabis.
A NO VOTE:
Leave Massachusetts' current marijuana laws in place.
What is Question 8?
Question 8 would repeal Massachusetts laws that currently legalize, regulate, and tax the retail sale of recreational cannabis.
If Question 8 passes, licensed adult-use cannabis retailers would no longer be permitted to operate under the current recreational market beginning January 1, 2028.
The measure would retain the medical marijuana program and allow existing adult-use businesses to apply for medical marijuana licenses.
Adults 21+ would still be permitted to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, including no more than five grams of concentrate, under the proposed law.
What Would Change?
ADULT-USE RETAIL SALES
Question 8 would eliminate Massachusetts' legal retail market for recreational cannabis.
STATE + LOCAL TAX REVENUE
According to the Commonwealth's official fiscal statement, adult-use cannabis generated approximately $280 million in state tax revenue and $50 million in local tax revenue in FY2025.
THE REGULATED MARKET
The current system requires licensed cannabis businesses to operate within state regulations governing the production and sale of adult-use cannabis. Question 8 would repeal the laws establishing that recreational regulatory structure.
MASSACHUSETTS CANNABIS BUSINESSES
Existing recreational cannabis businesses would need to transition away from adult-use sales. The proposal allows currently licensed businesses to apply on an expedited basis to become medical marijuana dispensaries and permits remaining adult-use inventory to be sold to medical dispensaries.
Know Before You Vote!
Cannabis has been part of Massachusetts' regulated adult-use market since voters approved legalization in 2016.
Ten years later, Massachusetts voters are being asked to decide its future.
Read the ballot language. Understand what changes. Make an informed decision on Question 8.
Vote on or before November 3, 2026.