An effort backed by a national group opposed to marijuana legalization is facing an uphill battle in Massachusetts, where voters appear increasingly inclined to preserve the state’s legal adult-use cannabis market.
Recent polling from WCVB and the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that a proposed rollback of recreational cannabis sales has attracted the weakest support among the nine questions on the November ballot. The findings come as lawmakers and local officials across the state publicly rally behind an industry that generates an estimated $1.65 billion in annual sales.
The campaign surrounding Question 8 has attracted national attention because it could become the first serious attempt in the U.S. to reverse an established recreational marijuana market through a statewide vote. The initiative is being financed largely by SAM Action Inc., the political arm of the nonprofit Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which has long opposed cannabis legalization.
Under the proposal, Massachusetts would prohibit commercial sales of marijuana for recreational use. Adults would still be permitted to possess cannabis, while the state’s medical marijuana program would remain in place.
Support for the measure, however, remains limited. In the UMass-WCVB survey, conducted between October 5 and October 12 among 800 registered state voters, only 16% said they were certain to support Question 8. By comparison, 47% said they were certain to reject it, giving the proposal the largest committed opposition of any question included in the poll.
The survey had a 4.6 percentage point margin of error. Massachusetts ballot initiatives require a simple majority to pass.
The latest numbers reinforce earlier surveys that have pointed toward a substantial defeat for the repeal campaign. Opposition has also grown among elected officials, with state and municipal leaders increasingly speaking out against the proposal.
In Worcester, Massachusetts’ second-largest city, the City Council is scheduled to consider a resolution condemning the proposal. Mayor Joe Petty introduced the measure, which would formally endorse maintaining a regulated recreational marijuana market.
Petty would join a growing list of prominent political figures opposing the repeal effort. Those critics include Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey. According to a group opposing the measure, 62 state legislators have also declared their opposition.
Financial disclosures provide another indication of where the campaign stands. At least 90% of the approximately $3.5 million raised to support the proposal comes from the SAM Action group.
Everything now depends on the results on polling day, and you can be sure that leading marijuana companies like Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: CGC) (TSX: WEED) are taking a keen interest in this ballot measure, as well as those that don’t have operations in the state.
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