SAM Contributes $1.55 Million to Massachusetts Cannabis Prohibition Campaign

OG article by Tony Lange

January 21, 2026

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Action Inc. donated $1.55 million in Q4 2025 to the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts Inc., solely funding a signature drive for a 2026 ballot initiative to repeal the state’s adult-use cannabis program. The coalition gathered 78,301 valid signatures, certified by Secretary William Galvin, qualifying the petition “An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy.” It would eliminate the $1.6 billion market, including dispensaries, cultivation, and manufacturing, while recriminalizing home cultivation (currently up to 12 plants per household for adults 21+) but keeping decriminalization for up to 1 ounce possession. This fits SAM’s stance favoring reduced criminal penalties for low-level use but opposing sales. SAM President Kevin Sabet highlighted support for similar efforts in Massachusetts and Maine. Signature gatherers faced deception allegations, but investigations upheld most signatures. The proposal now goes to the legislature until May 5; if not enacted, additional signatures are needed by July 1 for the November ballot. Comparable repeal pushes target Maine’s $250 million market and Arizona’s $1 billion program. SAM Action, a 501(c)(4), allows anonymous donors focused on public health impacts of drug use.