Out-of-state prohibitionist groups are using misleading tactics and are relying on dark money in their efforts to repeal voter-approved marijuana legalization laws in three states. We can’t let them prevail.
Here are the facts. In Massachusetts, the sole donor behind the petition to repeal legalization is an out-of-state group that refuses to disclose its funding sources1. This same political action committee also recently funneled $2 million to support a similar repeal effort in Maine2. Another repeal effort is in the works in Arizona.
And what precisely is this dark money paying for? Among other things, it’s paying signature gatherers to purposefully confuse voters3. In Maine, there have been so many public complaints that the Secretary of State recently weighed in, opining that canvassers have a First Amendment right to lie to voters to obtain their signatures4. In Massachusetts, a recently released poll determined that nearly half of voters who signed the repeal petition “say they were misled by the anti-cannabis campaign’s signature collectors.5“
These are the sort of underhanded tactics we are up against. Why? Because our opponents know they can’t win the debate on merit.
Most Americans are on our side and have been for some time. But in order to keep them there, we need to continue to present the facts and counter prohibitionists’ subterfuge. This is becoming increasingly difficult to do in an environment where shadowy donors are providing our political opponents with millions of dollars to distort the truth.
But with your help, we can fight back. Your donation to NORML helps us arm voters with the truth. The truth is that adult-use marijuana markets create tens of thousands of jobs, raise millions in tax dollars, provide safe access to lab-tested products, and have led to historic lows in marijuana access by young people. That’s why, to date, no state has ever repealed cannabis legalization.
We can’t let Arizona, Maine, or Massachusetts become the first to do so.
Help NORML ensure that statewide legalization laws are protected. We as a movement have worked too long and come too far to slide backward. Chip in today so we can mobilize more activists to fight these looming threats. Your help is necessary if we are going to defeat them.
Our movement is at an inflection point. How we respond to these challenges will define us.
- National dark money anti-pot group bankrolling efforts to ban recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, Maine
https://commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-questions/national-dark-money-anti-pot-group-bankrolling-efforts-to-ban-recreational-marijuana-in-mass-maine/
↩︎ - Trump money, dark money largely funding Maine referendum drives
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/16/trump-donor-dark-money-largely-funding-maine-referendum-drives/
↩︎ - Cannabis opponents accused of misrepresenting Maine referendum
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/01/14/cannabis-opponents-accused-of-misrepresenting-maine-referendum/
↩︎ - Confusion over cannabis petition underscores constitutional ‘right to lie’
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/confusion-over-cannabis-petition-underscores-constitutional-right-lie
↩︎ - Nearly half of Massachusetts voters who signed anti-marijuana initiative petitions feel misled by campaign workers, poll finds
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nearly-half-of-massachusetts-voters-who-signed-anti-marijuana-initiative-petitions-feel-misled-by-campaign-workers-poll-finds/
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