Nearly three-quarters of Massachusetts voters say that they will vote ‘no’ on Question 8, a November ballot measure that seeks to repeal key elements of Massachusetts’ voter-approved marijuana legalization law. That’s according to new statewide polling provided by the University of New Hampshire.
Seventy-one percent of respondents said that they oppose the measure. Only 24 percent said that they intend to vote for it.
Among Democrats, only 21 percent support the measure’s passage. That compares to 26 percent of Independents and 29 percent of Republicans. Approximately two-thirds of state voters are registered as Independents.
Question 8 has never enjoyed majority support from Massachusetts voters. However, these latest percentages show that it continues to lose voter support as election day approaches. A prior UNH poll released this spring reported that 63 percent of Massachusetts voters opposed the ballot proposal.
“There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among Massachusetts’ voters when it comes to legalizing cannabis and this fact will become even clearer come November,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “That’s because these policies are largely working as intended and because Massachusetts voters prefer legalization and regulation over the failed policy of marijuana prohibition.”
Question 8 seeks to repeal decade-old laws permitting adults to home-cultivate marijuana and regulating the adult-use retail cannabis market, among other changes. Financing for the campaign has come almost entirely from a single out-of-state special interest group.
November’s vote will mark the first time that voters have ever decided on a ballot measure to repeal an existing adult-use marijuana legalization law. Massachusetts’ voters approved legalization in 2016.
Since that time, teen marijuana use has fallen approximately 50 percent statewide, according to the latest data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates of school disciplinary incidents involving cannabis have also declined significantly. Tax revenue from regulated marijuana sales has yielded over $1.5 billion dollars and the licensed industry employs nearly 18,000 workers.
NORML has several resources and fact sheets opposing the initiative campaign available in Election Central. Additional information is available from the Committee to Protect Cannabis Regulation.