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Proposed changes to Maine cannabis laws won’t appear on November ballot
The petition drive funded by out-of-state dark money failed to meet the 67,682 signature requirement needed for the 2026 ballot, aiming to end recreational cannabis sales and home cultivation.
- Organizers behind the repeal campaign missed the February 2 deadline, failing to gather the required 67,682 signatures, so the measure won't appear on the November 2026 ballot.
- Out-of-State dark-money funding fueled the drive, with Smart Approach to Marijuana Action Inc. listed as the sole donor contributing $2 million to repeal parts of the Maine Cannabis Legalization Act.
- Critics say signature collectors misled signers who thought the petition concerned chemical safety, while Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said her office lacks authority to enforce collector statements.
- Organizers say the campaign isn’t finished and will target 2027, with over $1.5 million still available in the mid-January campaign finance filing, despite missing the 2026 ballot deadline.
- The Maine recreational cannabis market grew from $82 million in 2021 to about $248 million in 2025, and the 15-page proposal would end all sales starting Jan. 1, 2028.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Ohio Capital Journal
With signatures delivered, Maine voters could be first to roll back trans rights in November
A canvasser with the Protect Girls Sports campaign looks on as a voter signs a petition to restrict transgender students’ access to sports and school facilities at the Green Ladle culinary school in Lewiston on Nov. 4, 2025. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)The campaign behind an initiative to roll back Maine’s inclusive policies for transgender athletes said on Monday it has enough signatures to appear on the November ballot. In a press…
Lewiston Sun Journal
Proposed changes to Maine cannabis laws won’t appear on November ballot
A petition seeking a statewide referendum on whether to end recreational sales and add oversight to the medical marijuana industry was not submitted in time to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.
‘Token’ Effort? Maine Petitioners Miss Deadline For Citizen Initiative To End Recreational Pot Sales
The effort by anti-potters to halt Maine’s marijuana party failed to catch fire, state officials say. The Secretary of State’s Office says the people behind the citizens petition missed the February 2 deadline, according to WGME-TV. The petitioners were working to gather the nearly 68,000 signatures they needed to make the ballot in November. The [...] The post ‘Token’ Effort? Maine Petitioners Miss Deadline For Citizen Initiative To End Recreat…
Marijuana Moment
GrowCola.comMaine Anti-Marijuana Campaign Misses Deadline To Submit Signatures For Legalization Rollback Ballot Initiative
A Maine campaign seeking to significantly roll back the state’s marijuana law failed to submit signatures by a deadline this week to make the November 2026 ballot, meaning the anti-cannabis activists will need to shift their focus to 2027 if they hope to put the issue before voters. Amid criticism from reform advocates, industry stakeholders and certain lawmakers over allegedly misleading signature gathering tactics, Mainers for a Safe and Healt…
Maine: Campaign to Repeal Voter-Initiated Marijuana Legalization Law Fails to Meet 2026 Deadline Maine: Campaign to Repeal Voter-Initiated Marijuana Legalization Law Fails to Meet 2026 Deadline
It is anticipated that the group behind Maine's repeal effort will now aim to qualify the measure for the 2027 ballot. The post Maine: Campaign to Repeal Voter-Initiated Marijuana Legalization Law Fails to Meet 2026 Deadline appeared first on NORML.
With signatures delivered, Maine voters could be first to roll back trans rights in November • Maine Morning Star
A canvasser with the Protect Girls Sports campaign looks on as a voter signs a petition to restrict transgender students’ access to sports and school facilities at the Green Ladle culinary school in Lewiston on Nov. 4, 2025. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)The campaign behind an initiative to roll back Maine’s inclusive policies for transgender athletes said on Monday it has enough signatures to appear on the November ballot. In a press…
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