Anti-Cannabis Ballot Campaigns in Maine and Massachusetts Accused of Fraud

Complaints Filed in Two States

Pro-legalization groups in Maine and Massachusetts filed parallel complaints on June 9 alleging systematic fraud in signature-gathering operations for ballot measures that would repeal adult-use cannabis laws. The Maine complaint, filed with the Secretary of State's office by the Coalition for Responsible Cannabis Policy, names three petition circulators. It alleges they told voters the petition supported expanded medical access when it actually sought to repeal the state's 2016 legalization law. Massachusetts's complaint, filed with the Attorney General by the Cannabis Reform Coalition, alleges similar misrepresentation plus outright signature forgery.

Both complaints cite sworn affidavits from voters who say they were deceived. One Maine affidavit describes a circulator who told a voter the petition "helps small cannabis businesses" when the measure would eliminate the legal market entirely. The Massachusetts filing includes notarized statements from twelve voters. Their signatures appear on petitions they never signed.

Signature Requirements and Deadlines

The anti-legalization campaigns need 63,897 valid signatures in Maine and 74,574 in Massachusetts to place repeal measures on the November 2026 ballot, with certification deadlines in early August. Maine's "Restore Public Safety Act" campaign reported submitting 71,000 raw signatures on June 5. Massachusetts's "Protect Our Communities" effort submitted 82,000 signatures on June 3. Both campaigns hired the same Arizona-based signature firm, Fieldworks Strategies LLC, according to campaign finance disclosures reviewed by CannIntel.

State election officials haven't yet begun signature verification. Maine's Secretary of State office said in a statement that the complaint will be reviewed alongside the signature validation process. Massachusetts Attorney General's office declined to comment on pending complaints.

Allegations of Systemic Misrepresentation

The complaints allege that circulators used scripted misrepresentations designed to confuse voters about the petitions' actual purpose. According to the Maine filing, circulators told voters the petition would "regulate cannabis like alcohol" or "keep it away from schools." They didn't disclose that it would criminalize possession again. The Massachusetts complaint includes video footage, shot by a legalization advocate, showing a circulator telling a voter the petition "fixes problems with the current law" rather than repealing it.

The pattern suggests deliberate deception rather than isolated mistakes by individual circulators, according to the complaints.

Both complaints cite state statutes prohibiting fraudulent misrepresentation in petition drives. Maine's election code makes it a Class E crime to "knowingly misrepresent the content" of a petition. Massachusetts law allows the Attorney General to invalidate signatures gathered through "fraud or improper conduct."

Signature Forgery Allegations in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts complaint includes forensic analysis alleging that multiple signatures on at least six petition sheets were written by the same hand. A handwriting expert retained by the Cannabis Reform Coalition reviewed twenty petition sheets. He identified what he described as "clear evidence of simulation," meaning signatures that mimic the writing style of legitimate signers but were executed by a different person. The analysis, attached as an exhibit, flags forty-three suspect signatures across six sheets collected in Springfield and Worcester.

The complaint asks the Attorney General to subpoena original petition sheets for full forensic review and to disqualify all signatures collected by the three circulators named in the filing. It also requests a criminal investigation into potential identity fraud.

Industry and Advocacy Response

Massachusetts cannabis operators have contributed more than $1.2 million to the opposition campaign fighting the repeal measure, according to state campaign finance records filed through May 31. The Coalition to Protect Legal Cannabis, the main opposition group, said in a statement that the fraud allegations confirm "what we've been hearing from voters for weeks." The group has hired its own investigators to document signature-gathering practices. Additional complaints are planned.

National reform groups are watching closely. The Marijuana Policy Project called the allegations "disturbing but not surprising," noting that anti-legalization campaigns in other states have faced similar accusations. For full background on this story, see the CannIntel topic hub on Maine and Massachusetts ballot campaigns.

What Happens Next

State officials will conduct signature verification over the next six weeks, with results expected by late July. If either campaign falls short of the required valid signatures, the measures won't appear on the November ballot. If fraud is substantiated, election officials could disqualify entire petition sheets or refer cases for criminal prosecution.

The outcome will determine whether voters in two of the earliest adult-use states face repeal questions this fall. Maine legalized in 2016. So did Massachusetts. Both states have licensed more than 200 retail dispensaries and collected hundreds of millions in tax revenue since launching sales. The political stakes are high: a successful repeal in either state would mark the first rollback of adult-use legalization since Colorado's 2012 vote.