A proposed state ballot question that would repeal recreational cannabis legalization in Massachusetts has alarmed industry leaders, while supporters argue the measure could strengthen public health efforts.

The measure would overturn the 2016 law permitting the sale and use of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts. If placed on the ballot and passed by voters, it would shut down adult-use retail operations and eliminate home cultivation for personal use, while preserving medical cannabis access. The proposal is currently undergoing signature certification for potential placement on the 2026 statewide ballot.

But residents across the state have reported instances of alleged signature-gathering misconduct being routinely committed by the repeal campaign, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association. The group backing the proposal, the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, has been accused of using deceptive practices to collect signatures to advance the petition.

“If you’re a voter who signed this petition under the impression you were signing for something else, please do not hesitate to contact your local clerk and speak with them,” said David O’Brien, president and CEO of MassCBA.

Wendy Wakeman, a spokesperson and chair of the coalition, said in an interview that the campaign hired professionals to gather signatures, and found no evidence of deceptive behavior.

“There was no reason to lie about the petition, because plenty of people would like to bring this subject to the table for discussion,” said Wakeman. “There’s a strong, organized pro-marijuana lobby, and their last-ditch effort to try and kill the signature drive is to make up the idea that somehow our signature gatherers were unsavory.”

Wakeman said the initiative aims to address what she called growing concerns about corruption, health and public safety since recreational cannabis was legalized in 2016. She cited a Wall Street Journal analysis she said shows an increase in automobile accidents and fatalities correlating with lowered use of alcohol and increased marijuana use.

In Newton, local businesses and residents have mixed reactions to what the repeal could mean locally. Jeffrey Herold, CEO of Garden Remedies cannabis business, said eliminating the recreational market would lead to mass layoffs and a difficult shift for many companies in the industry.

At minimum, 3% of all recreational cannabis sales go to the city as a local option tax, said Herold in an interview. Because medical cannabis is not taxed, Newton would lose thousands of dollars each year if those sales ended. Herold also noted there are currently between 15,000 and 20,000 employees working in the cannabis industry in Massachusetts.

Beyond jobs and tax revenue, Herold said maintaining access to regulated sellers helps ensure safe and tested products.

“I would assume that cannabis use doesn’t just disappear—which would mean people would probably revert back to the illicit market where there’s untested, unregulated products that are sold in non-child-resistant packaging and with no age requirements,” said Herold.

In June, adult-use cannabis revenue surpassed $8 billion in gross sales since the first two adult-use stores opened for business in November 2018, according to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission’s Annual Report. As of January 2025 in Middlesex County, marijuana establishments and medical marijuana treatment centers grossed $1.1 billion.

Newton resident Anwesha Nag said in an interview that she initially voted to legalize cannabis in 2016 but now regrets her decision.

Nag lives in an apartment complex where she said her young kids are exposed to “ungodly” amounts of cannabis smoke from her neighbors. She said some residents, whom she described as living on social assistance, smoke frequently, creating a persistent smell in shared hallways.

Nag said she worries because children were not historically exposed to this amount of cannabis in the past, and the long-term effects of secondhand exposure in developing children are unknown.

“Children did not sign up to be experimental subjects to demonstrate the long-term impacts,” she said. Nag added that a major issue is the lack of statewide guidance on where people can consume cannabis. She said there needs to be better guidance from the state rather than leaving the issue to property owners and city management.”