Illustration of a ballot box beside green leaves under a domed civic building, representing the Question 8 marijuana vote

Mayor Wu Opposes Question 8 Marijuana Repeal in Massachusetts

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said on Oct. 14, 2026, that she will vote No on the Question 8 marijuana measure, the statewide ballot question that would repeal the laws allowing licensed retail sales of recreational cannabis in Massachusetts. Her statement was released by the campaign opposing the question, three weeks before the Nov. 3 state election and three days before early voting begins in Boston on Oct. 17.

What Question 8 on Marijuana Would Do

According to the official summary published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the City of Boston, Question 8 would repeal the laws that legalize, regulate and tax the retail sale of adult recreational marijuana. Under the proposal:

  • people 21 and older could still possess 1 ounce or less, including no more than 5 grams of concentrate, and could gift up to that amount to another adult 21 or older;
  • possession of between 1 and 2 ounces would bring a $100 civil penalty and forfeiture of the marijuana;
  • for persons “21 years of age and younger,” possession of 2 ounces or less would be a civil infraction carrying a $100 fine, a drug awareness program, community service and notice to a parent or guardian;
  • licensed adult-use businesses could apply on an expedited basis to become medical marijuana dispensaries and sell remaining recreational inventory to medical dispensaries; and
  • the Cannabis Control Commission would remain but would regulate only the medical market.

The law would take effect Jan. 1, 2028. A Yes vote would prohibit legal retail sales; a No vote would leave current law unchanged. Medical marijuana would stay legal either way. On May 4, 2026, a majority of the Legislature’s Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions recommended that lawmakers take no action on the petition, which sent it to voters.

What Mayor Wu Said

“A decade ago, I was proud to be among the few elected officials who supported the ballot question to legalize cannabis and end decades of criminalization and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities,” Wu said in the release from the Stop the Repeal campaign. “Since then, legalization has created new businesses and jobs and generated state and local revenue to support substance use recovery and public health programs. I am voting No on 8 to protect that progress, not turn back the clock.”

The campaign said Boston has more than 40 adult-use marijuana retailers, including 18 in the city’s equity program, and that the city collected more than $9.7 million in local cannabis tax revenue in fiscal years 2022 through 2025, with about $3.6 million more expected in fiscal 2026. Ryan Dominguez, chair of the campaign, said opponents were “grateful to have the support of Mayor Michelle Wu.” Last week, Wu also announced her opposition to Question 3, the all-party primary measure, according to MassterList.

The Case From Supporters of Question 8

The Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts is the official committee urging a Yes vote. On its website, the group says the measure would keep personal possession and medical marijuana legal while ending “for-profit recreational marijuana stores.” Its argument in the state voter guide carries the heading “Medical and mental health professionals, parents, and business owners urge Yes on Question 8.”

“The rollout in Massachusetts seems to have gone too far, too fast,” coalition chair Wendy Wakeman told Boston.com. Kevin Sabet, a co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told WBUR that the Yes campaign does not seek to disrupt the medical market. The Yes side’s advertising focuses on marijuana-impaired driving, while the No side’s ads highlight the risks of sending buyers back to an unregulated market, Marijuana Moment reported.

Money is flowing to both sides. WBUR reported that the Yes committee is funded mostly by Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action Inc., a Virginia-based group that has contributed nearly $3.5 million, and that the opposing Committee to Protect Cannabis Regulation has raised $2.3 million, including donations of $100,000 or more from three industry groups and the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

Endorsements, Polls and Key Dates

Gov. Maura Healey, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley have also said they oppose the measure. A MassINC Polling Group survey for CommonWealth Beacon found 61% of likely voters opposed, 27% in favor and 11% undecided. A University of New Hampshire poll in September put opposition at 71% and support at 24%.

Massachusetts became the sixth state to legalize recreational sales when voters approved the 2016 ballot question, and passage this year would make it the first state to repeal them, according to WBUR. The Cannabis Control Commission said last month that adult-use purchases have topped $10 billion since the market opened in 2018. The commission does not take positions on ballot questions.

Question 8 is one of nine statewide questions on the ballot. Our Massachusetts election 2026 guide covers the full list, including Question 9 on the state gun law, and our Boston early voting guide explains how in-person early voting works in the city.

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