Massachusetts Voters Reject Effort to Repeal Legal Marijuana

Published November 9, 2026.

Massachusetts voters have decisively rejected an effort to repeal the state’s recreational marijuana laws. Question 8 received 24.4% support, while 75.6% voted against it, and the measure failed in every municipality. Nearly 99% of votes had been counted by Monday morning.

Opposition was strongest in Somerville, where 88% voted no, followed by Provincetown at 87% and Northampton at 85%. Dover had the largest share of yes votes, at 31%, though that still amounted to a minority. Randolph, Everett and Lynn followed, with 30.5%, 30% and 28.5%, respectively.

The question proposed prohibiting the legalization, regulation and taxation of retail sales of adult-use marijuana. Had it passed, adults 21 and older could have possessed up to one ounce without penalty, with civil penalties applying to possession of up to two ounces. Possession of up to two ounces by people under 21 would also have been treated as a civil offense.

The result marks a sharp change from the state’s 2016 legalization fight. Then-Gov. Charlie Baker and other prominent political leaders opposed the proposal, while supporters argued that a regulated market could curb illegal sales, reduce racial disparities in enforcement and generate tax revenue. Opponents warned of risks including impaired driving and commercial marketing aimed at young people.

The legalization measure passed in 2016 with more than 53% support. Massachusetts then created a Cannabis Control Commission to establish and oversee the market. The repeal campaign emphasized public health concerns, but Question 8’s defeat leaves recreational marijuana laws unchanged for the foreseeable future.

Massachusetts Rejects Return to Marijuana Prohibition

Massachusetts voters delivered a clear rejection of an attempt to repeal recreational marijuana laws: 75.6% voted no on Question 8 and 24.4% voted yes. The result preserves the legal market and its regulation and taxation, rather than returning retail sales to prohibition.

The vote reflects how far the state has moved since the 2016 legalization battle, when Gov. Charlie Baker and other powerful political figures opposed the measure. Supporters then argued that regulation could displace illegal sales of untested products, address racial disparities in enforcement and provide tax revenue to state and local governments. Voters approved legalization with more than 53% support.

Question 8 failed in every municipality. Opposition was especially strong in Somerville, Provincetown and Northampton, where no votes reached 88%, 87% and 85%. Even in Dover, the municipality with the greatest support for repeal, only 31% voted yes.

The repeal proposal invoked public health concerns, but its defeat means the laws governing adult-use sales remain in place for the foreseeable future. The original law established the Cannabis Control Commission to set up and regulate the market, a system that began amid political opposition and a demanding implementation schedule. The latest vote shows that Massachusetts voters were not persuaded to undo legalization.

Voters Keep Marijuana Laws Despite Public Health Concerns

Question 8’s decisive defeat leaves Massachusetts’ recreational marijuana laws intact, even as the repeal campaign raised public health concerns. Voters rejected the measure 75.6% to 24.4%, and it failed in every municipality.

The concern at the heart of the state’s original 2016 debate was commercialization and its possible effects on children. Opponents warned that a legal industry could put profits ahead of safety, market products to young people and contribute to impaired driving. Those arguments did not prevent legalization then, and they did not win enough support to reverse it now.

The latest vote also shows how thoroughly public opinion has shifted. In 2016, Gov. Charlie Baker and other prominent leaders opposed legalization; the measure nevertheless passed with more than 53% support. This time, the repeal proposal lost even in Dover, the town with the highest share of yes votes, where support reached 31%.

Question 8 would have barred the legalization, regulation and taxation of retail adult-use marijuana sales and established possession penalties. Its defeat means current recreational marijuana laws remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. Massachusetts created a Cannabis Control Commission to oversee the market after legalization, despite a tight launch schedule and state officials, most of whom had resisted the change.