On Dec. 3 petitions were submitted with signatures from 74,000 Massachusetts voters to repeal the 2016 legalization of the recreational use of marijuana. Once the signatures are certified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the state legislature could act on the request. If the legislature fails to act, the initiative could be placed on the November 2026 ballot. Several other states are also reconsidering marijuana legalization policies.
Kevin Sabet, founder of the advocacy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) (https://learnaboutsam.org/ said: “Massachusetts [is] making a much needed improvement in public health. Legal recreational weed does nothing but harm to the towns and cities and states where it’s sold…. Kids have paid the price, while pot barons laugh all the way to the bank. The decision now rests with the state legislature, where the measure will land once the signatures are certified.”