The controversial bid to finish Massachusetts’ $1.6 billion annual adult-use marijuana trade claimed one more important early victory.
Amid widening accusations of voter fraud, the Coalition for a Wholesome Massachusetts “is assured it has submitted sufficient signatures to place the query on the poll” forward of a Nov. 19 deadline, a marketing campaign spokesperson advised The Hashish Enterprise Occasions.
Poll questions filed over the summer season by lead sponsor Caroline Cunningham, a member of the state Republican Committee, search to repeal Chapters 94G and 64N of the state’s Normal Legal guidelines.
If the “Act to Restore a Wise Marijuana Coverage” qualifies for the 2026 poll and is authorized by voters, adult-use hashish retail gross sales could be outlawed in Massachusetts- although medical marijuana gross sales, residence cultivation, and “gifting” between adults 21 and over would nonetheless be allowed.
Will Massachusetts vote to cease adult-use hashish gross sales?
The marketing campaign efficiently collected a minimal of 74,574 signatures by Nov. 19 with a view to qualify for a neighborhood vetting course of forward of one other submitting deadline Dec. 3, marketing campaign spokesperson Wendy Wakeman advised the Enterprise Occasions.
Organizers have vowed to gather as many as 100,000 signatures.
And that’s regardless of mounting claims that signature-gatherers are utilizing misleading ways to persuade voters to signal the petition.
As MJBizDaily reported earlier this month, there are a number of accounts of marketing campaign employees approaching voters whereas claiming the petition does one thing else, resembling fight fentanyl or create housing.
Wakeman claimed in an MJBizDaily interview to don’t have any information or involvement with the alleged misleading ways. Marketing campaign employees participating in such habits are volunteers and never paid signature gatherers, she mentioned.
Hashish trade advocates aren’t satisfied.
Bid to cease Massachusetts adult-use marijuana gross sales accused of fraud
Such acts represent voter fraud, in accordance with the Massachusetts Hashish Enterprise Affiliation, a statewide commerce group.
It stays unclear what recourse hashish advocates may pursue if the repeal marketing campaign does certainly advance.
Utilizing false claims to woo voters to signal is a protected free-speech exercise below Massachusetts state legislation.
Nonetheless, voters may petition native authorities to have their signatures eliminated and the petition disqualified in the event that they really feel they signed below false pretenses, elections observers have mentioned.
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It’s nonetheless not identified who’s funding the marketing campaign. That info is because of change into public in January after a marketing campaign finance submitting deadline.
Annual hashish gross sales are on tempo to exceed $1.6 billion for 2025, in accordance with state Hashish Management Fee information.
State retailers broke month-to-month product sales data a number of occasions throughout the first half of the yr, the CCC mentioned.
